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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


02 


b*:>Xt-/f4S* 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 


THE  RIDER 
IN  KHAKI 

A  NOVEL 

BY 

NAT  GOULD 


^watKg 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1918,  by 
Frederick  A.   Stokes  Company 

All  rights  reserved 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I. 

PAGE 

"Will  He  Marry  Her?"       .     .             i 

II. 

Trent  Park       ...... 

IO 

III. 

"  He's  a  Spy  " 

19 

IV. 

The  Australian  Girl 

28 

V. 

Robin  Hood's  Speed     . 

38 

VI. 

A  Flying  Filly 

47 

VII. 

A  Walk  and  a  Talk  .      . 

56 

VIII. 

Fraser's  Information 

66 

IX. 

The  Man  Under  the  Lamp 

X. 

Carl  Makes  Love  . 

85 

XL 

The  Baron's  Tip    . 

94 

XII. 

A  Fine  Finish 

103 

XIII. 

Alan  Is  Blind  .... 

112 

XIV. 

Inside  the  Keep 

121 

XV. 

A  Sudden  Proposal     . 

•    131 

XVI. 

Jane's  Love  Affair 

.    140 

XVII. 

The  Lay  of  the  Land     . 

•    149 

XVIII. 

Tom's  Weakness     . 

■    159 

XIX. 

Half  a  Head     .... 

,    169 

XX. 

Two  Stayers      .... 

.    178 

XXI. 

The  Raid 

.   187 

213 


Cf-J'/wO 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PACE 

XXII.    Jane  Suspects 196 

XXIII.  Alan's  Danger 206 

XXIV.  Taken  Prisoner 216 

XXV.    Alive  and  Well 225 

XXVI.     The  Rider  in  Khaki 234 

XXVII.    The  Steeplechase 243 

XXVIII.    Jane's  Disclosures 252 

XXIX.  A  Splash  in  the  Dark     ....  261 

XXX.     News  from  Home 271 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

CHAPTER  I 
"will  he  marry  her?': 

DO  you  think  he  will  marry  her?  "  asked  Harry 
Morby. 

"  Does  anybody  know  what  he  will  do,"  replied 
Vincent  Newport,  discussing  their  host  Alan  Ches- 
ney,  of  Trent  Park,  a  beautiful  estate  in  Notting- 
hamshire, close  to  the  Dukeries,  Sherwood  Forest, 
and  the  picturesque  village  of  Ollerton. 

In  the  billiard  room  they  had  just  finished  a  game 
of  a  hundred  up,  it  was  an  even  battle  but  Morby 
won  by  a  few  points;  they  were  Chesney's  friends, 
captains  in  the  same  regiment  —  the  Guards  —  from 
which  Alan  Chesney  resigned  his  commission  some 
twelve  months  ago.  Why  he  resigned  was  best 
known  to  himself;  they  had  not  heard  the  reason; 
nobody  in  the  regiment  appeared  to  have  any  idea. 

"  She's  a  splendid  woman,"  said  Harry,  with  a 
sigh. 


2  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Granted,  perhaps  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
of  the  reigning  beauties.  It  may  not  be  a  question 
of  will  he  marry  her  but  whether  she  will  have  him 
if  he  asks  her,"  answered  Vincent. 
Harry  Morby  shook  his  head. 
"  She'll  marry  him  right  enough.  Why  not? 
By  Jove,  Vin,  what  a  handsome  couple  they'd 
make!  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  but  I  doubt  if  it  would  be  a  happy  union," 
said  Vincent. 

"  Good  Lord,  man,  why  shouldn't  it  be?  They'd 
have  everything  they  wanted :  money  on  both  sides, 
estates  close  together,  many  things  in  common,  love 
of  racing,  sport  in  general,  hunting  in  particular; 
they're  made  for  each  other." 
"What  about  temperaments?" 
"  All  right  in  that  way.  No  doubt  there'd  be 
some  friction  at  times,  but  very  few  married  people 
go  through  life  without  jars." 

"  Evelyn  Berkeley  has  had  one  or  two  af- 
fairs." 

"  Nothing  to  her  discredit.  She's  always  been 
allowed  to  have  her  head ;  her  father  was  proud  of 
her  in  his  way,  but  he  was  a  selfish  man,  thought 
more  of  his  pleasures  than  anything,  a  bit  of  an 
old  rip  too,  if  all  one  hears  be  correct.  As  for  her 
mother  —  you  know  the  story  —  possibly  Berkeley 
drove  her  to  it." 


"  WILL  HE  MARRY  HER^  "  3 

"  Yes,  I've  heard  it.  Of  course  everybody 
blames  her;  they  always  do,  the  woman  pays,"  said 
Vincent. 

"  Marcus  Berkeley  left  her  his  riches ;  everything 
he  had  went  to  her.  She  can't  be  thirty,  at  least 
I  should  think  not,"  said  Harry. 

"  Is  her  mother  dead?  "  asked  Vincent. 

"  I  don't  know;  if  alive  she  is  not  likely  to  come 
into  her  life  again,"  said  Harry. 

Alan  Chesney  generally  had  friends  staying  with 
him  at  Trent  Park ;  it  was  a  hospitable  house,  where 
everything  was  done  well.  His  father  was  a  suc- 
cessful man,  head  of  a  great  brewery  firm,  a  won- 
derful manager,  a  staunch  sportsman,  the  owner  of 
a  famous  stud,  and  a  conspicuous  figure  on  the  turf ; 
his  death  was  a  blow  to  racing,  his  colors  were  pop- 
ular, and  his  outlay  lavish. 

Alan  Chesney  inherited  his  love  for  horses  and 
racing,  but  the  immense  business  of  William  Ches- 
ney &  Company,  Limited,  did  not  appeal  to  him, 
although  the  bulk  of  his  wealth  came  from  that 
source.  It  was  a  disappointment  to  his  father  when 
Alan  elected  to  go  into  the  army,  but  as  he  was  bent 
on  it  he  gave  way  on  condition  he  resign  his  com- 
mission when  he  died  and  become  the  head  of  the 
firm.  This  was  the  real  reason  for  Alan's  leaving 
the  army ;  there  were  others  also  weighed  with  him. 
He  had  the  makings  of  a  good  soldier  in  him  but 


4  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  the  piping  times  of  peace  "  did  not  bring  out  his 
best  qualities;  there  was  more  pleasure  than  work 
and  the  calls  of  duty  were  not  very  arduous  for  a 
rich  man. 

The  manager  of  William  Chesney  &  Company 
was  Duncan  Fraser,  a  Scotsman,  whose  whole  life 
had  been  spent  in  England,  the  bulk  of  it  with 
Chesney.  An  upright,  honorable,  keen  man  of 
business,  Duncan  Fraser  was  a  tower  of  strength  in 
the  firm.  Force  of  character  was  stamped  on  him; 
he  was  unyielding  when  he  felt  he  was  in  the  right, 
and  many  tussles  William  Chesney  had  with  him 
about  fresh  moves  connected  with  new  departments 
in  the  company's  procedure.  The  two  men  were, 
however,  friends,  and  had  respect  for  the  abilities 
they  both  possessed. 

It  was  Duncan  Fraser's  opposition  to  Alan  Ches- 
ney going  into  the  army  induced  William  Chesney 
to  protest  against  it  and  give  way  only  upon  the 
stipulation  stated. 

"  He  is  your  only  son,  and  his  place  is  at  the 
head  of  the  firm  when  you  think  fit  to  retire,"  said 
Duncan.  "  He  has  no  right  to  neglect  his  respon- 
sibilities, and  he  ought  to  be  trained  for  the  posi- 
tion ;  if  he  goes  into  a  crack  cavalry  regiment  he'll 
never  settle  down  to  the  work  here." 

William  Chesney  agreed  with  Duncan  Fraser,  but 
made  excuses  for  Alan. 


"WILL  HE  MARRY  HER?"  5 

"  I  fancy  he  considers  you  will  be  capable  of 
looking  after  things  when  I  am  gone,''  he  said. 

"  That's  not  the  point.  I'm  capable  now,  but 
you  are  the  head,  and  he  ought  to  take  your  place." 

Alan  Chesney  and  Duncan  Fraser  did  not  agree 
well,  the  former  knew  of  Fraser's  opposition  to  his 
joining  the  army  and  resented  it  as  an  imperti- 
nence. 

"  After  all  he's  a  servant  of  the  company,"  he 
said  to  his  father. 

"  And  the  best  servant  a  company  ever  had. 
He's  a  big  shareholder  too ;  don't  forget  that  impor- 
tant fact,  Alan,"  was  the  answer. 

Duncan  Fraser  was  a  careful  man;  he  had  a 
large  salary,  and,  being  a  bachelor,  saved  most  of  it 
and  bought  shares  in  the  brewery.  When  William 
Chesney  died  he  held  the  second  interest  to  Alan, 
which  gave  him  considerable  power. 

To  do  Fraser  justice  he  always  desired,  was 
anxious,  that  Alan  Chesney  should  be  the  active 
head  of  the  firm;  but  his  disinclination  for  the  work 
threw  more  and  more  responsibility  on  the  manager, 
and  although  Alan  was  nominally  the  head,  Duncan 
Fraser  was  the  man  everybody  looked  to. 

Alan  recognized  this  and  resented  it,  although  he 
knew  it  was  his  fault. 

Duncan  Fraser  had  the  tact  to  handle  the  situ- 
ation delicately;  he  treated  Alan  with  almost  the 


6  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

same  deference  as  his  father,  but  did  not  consult 
him  to  the  same  extent,  or  take  so  much  notice  of 
his  suggestions. 

Fraser  was  a  good-looking  man,  verging  on  fifty, 
tall,  well-built,  an  athlete  in  his  younger  days,  a 
good  shot  and  an  enthusiastic  angler.  He  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  Trent  Park,  and  to  all  outward 
appearances  he  and  Alan  were  the  best  of  friends; 
there  was  a  rift  in  the  lute  which  they  concealed. 

Alan  was  popular  in  the  county,  his  liberality  was 
great,  appeals  to  him  always  met  with  a  response. 
His  fine  commanding  presence  made  him  notice- 
able, his  military  training  had  done  him  good,  he 
was  strong,  powerful,  a  good  boxer,  and  no  man 
could  ride  better.  Despite  his  height  and  strong 
frame,  he  could  ride  a  reasonable  weight  on  the 
flat,  and  over  fences,  and  he  often  mounted  his 
horses  and  those  of  his  friends.  Exercise  kept  his 
weight  down ;  he  walked  miles  at  a  stretch,  through 
the  glorious  forest,  or  over  his  estates. 

He  had  known  Evelyn  Berkeley  since  she  was  in 
her  teens,  and  when  he  came  home  from  Harrow, 
and  she  was  at  "  The  Forest  "  for  her  holidays,  they 
were  often  together ;  their  love  for  the  country  was 
strong  and  they  explored  every  nook  and  corner  of 
Sherwood  Forest. 

When  Evelyn  Berkeley  was  five  and  twenty  it 
was  reported,   with   some  semblance  of  authority, 


"  WILL  HE  MARRY  HER?  "  7 

that  William  Chesney,  the  wealthy  brewer,  was 
anxious  to  make  her  his  wife,  that  he  would  will- 
ingly have  done  so  but  she  refused  him.  There  was 
truth  in  this,  but  the  whole  facts  were  not  known. 
Evelyn  Berkeley  liked  William  Chesney  but  she  was 
very  fond  of  Alan,  and  it  seemed  to  her  ridiculous 
that  she  should  wed  the  father  when  she  admired 
the  son,  although  Marcus  Berkeley  strongly  urged 
her  to  accept  the  brewer's  offer. 

"  You'll  be  safe  with  him,  Eve,"  said  her  father. 
"  He's  a  good  sort ;  he  idolizes  you.  Oh  yes,  I 
know  you  prefer  Alan,  that's  perhaps  natural,  but 
he's  not  sown  his  wild  oats  yet  and  you'll  have  a 
long  time  to  wait  before  you  can  get  him  to  the  post. 
You're  young,  marry  William  Chesney,  and  before 
the  bloom's  off  your  cheeks  you'll  be  the  richest  and 
handsomest  widow  in  the  land." 

Evelyn  Berkeley  was  very  sorry  when  William 
Chesney  died.  He  proved  a  better  guide  than  her 
father,  and  her  refusal  of  his  offer  made  no  differ- 
ence in  his  manner  toward  her. 

Alan  Chesney  knew  of  his  father's  partiality  for 
Evelyn  Berkeley  but  did  not  know  he  proposed  to 
her,  and  the  rumors  of  it  had  not  reached  him.  He 
admired  Evelyn,  but  was  not  at  all  certain  he  loved 
her,  and  so  far  had  not  considered  it  conducive  to 
his  happiness  that  he  should  take  a  wife;  he  was 
fond  of  his  freedom,  of  the  bachelor  life  he  was 


8  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

leading,  he  did  many  things  that  would  be  impos- 
sible if  he  married. 

He  had  a  habit  of  doing  unexpected  things,  and 
this  was  the  reason  Vincent  Newport  said,  "  Does 
anybody  know  what  he  will  do  ?  "  in  answer  to 
Harry  Morby's  question. 

Alan  Chesney  came  into  the  billiard  room. 

"  Did  you  beat  him,  Harry  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Just  pipped  him  on  the  post,"  was  the  answer. 

"  I'm  just  going  to  have  a  look  at  the  horses ;  will 
you  come  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Only  too  pleased,"  said  Vincent,  and  Harry 
acquiesced  eagerly. 

"  Think  we'll  drive ;  horses  are  more  enjoyable 
than  motors  —  that's  if  you  haven't  to  go  any  dis- 
tance." 

A  pair  of  beautiful  bays  were  brought  round, 
the  shooting  wagon  was  spic  and  span,  almost  new, 
the  groom  smart  and  dapper,  everything  in  perfect 
style. 

Alan  handled  the  reins  and  they  drove  along 
the  well-kept  road  in  the  direction  of  Trent  Stud. 

Their  way  skirted  past  "  The  Forest "  and  as 
they  passed  the  gates  Evelyn  Berkeley  came  out 
in  her  motor.  Alan  pulled  up,  she  stopped  the  car, 
and  greetings  were  exchanged. 

"  We're  going  to  see  the  horses.  Will  you 
come?  "  asked  Alan. 


<( 
(( 


"WILL  HE  MARRY  HER?"  9 

She  thanked  him,  said  she  had  an  appointment 
in  Nottingham,  and  from  there  had  to  go  to 
Newark. 

"You'll  be  in  town  for  the  Derby,  I  suppose?" 
said  Alan. 

"  Yes.  Are  you  running  anything  at  the  meet- 
ing?" 

Three  or  four.     Might  pick  up  a  race  or  two." 
You'll   not    forget   to   put   me  on,"   she   said, 
smiling. 

"  Oh  no,  I'll  not  forget.  I'll  call  and  see  you 
and  give  you  all  particulars ;  shall  you  have  a  house 
full?"  said  Alan. 

"  Half  a  dozen  single  friends  and  two  married 
couples;  you  can  stay  with  me  if  you  like,  it  will 
be  quite  proper,"  she  said,  laughing. 

Alan  did  not  give  a  direct  answer;  he  merely 
repeated  that  he  would  call. 

"  By  Jove,  she  is  handsome !  "  said  Harry  enthu- 
siastically. 

"  Not  a  doubt  about  that,"  said  Alan  placidly,  as 
he  touched  the  horses  with  the  whip  and  they  went 
along  at  a  fast  pace. 


CHAPTER  II 

TRENT    PARK 

TRENT  PARK  was  a  wonderful  place;  the 
house  was  modern,  the  new  mansion  having 
been  built  by  William  Chesney,  but  the  park  was 
full  of  ancient  trees  and  there  were  some  old 
buildings.  A  venerable  keep,  surrounded  by  a  moat 
full  of  water  and  only  reached  by  a  boat,  there 
being  no  bridge,  was  not  far  from  the  stud  build- 
ings. 

It  was  a  picturesque  spot  and  many  visitors  came 
to  see  it.  History  attached  to  it,  romance  threw  a 
halo  round,  there  were  many  stories  associated  with 
it,  some  true,  others  doubtful,  the  more  doubtful  the 
more  interesting.  Murder  had  been  committed 
within  its  walls  in  the  time  of  the  first  Edward ;  and 
even  down  to  the  Georges;  it  possessed  an  unen- 
viable reputation  for  dark  deeds  and  mysterious 
crimes. 

It  was  used  as  a  prison  in  the  Tudor  times  and 

tradition  said  many  a  man  had  been  done  to  death 

there  without  just  cause. 

i© 


TRENT  PARK  n 

Men  employed  at  Trent  Park  in  various  capaci- 
ties reported  having  seen  weird  sights :  shadowy, 
wailing  figures,  mostly  women,  flitting  about,  even 
rising  out  of  the  moat  where,  it  was  said,  bodies 
had  been  found,  or,  to  be  more  correct,  skeletons. 

The  villagers  of  Little  Trent  shunned  it  after 
nightfall;  youngsters  were  frightened  into  obedi- 
ence by  threats  to  bring  the  moat  ghosts  after 
them. 

It  was  a  round  keep,  built  of  massive  stone, 
the  walls  ivy-covered,  the  base  green  with  moss, 
damp  and  age. 

A  massive  oak  door  studded  with  large-headed 
nails  creaked  on  its  rusty  hinges  when  opened,  which 
was  seldom. 

A  visitor  from  New  York  received  permission  to 
examine  the  keep,  tower,  and  moat  in  search  of 
historical  data  and  facts.  He  stayed  at  the  Sher- 
wood Inn  at  Little  Trent.  One  evening  he  returned 
from  his  explorations  with  a  white,  frightened  face ; 
when  questioned  he  shivered  but  gave  no  answers. 
He  hurriedly  took  his  departure  and,  from  stray 
bits  of  paper  in  the  fire-grate  in  his  room,  it  was 
surmised  he  had  burnt  his  copious  notes  about  the 
keep,  no  doubt  being  terrified  by  some  ghostly 
warning  to  destroy  them. 

The  ruins  of  a  monastery  stood  at  the  other  end 
of  the  Park.     A  stately  pile  of  crumbling  mortar, 


12  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

and  stones  shifting  from  places  they  occupied  for 
centuries.  The  outer  walls  stood  and  inside  the 
square  was  a  keeper's  cottage  hidden  in  a  warm 
snug  corner,  concealed  from  prying  eyes,  unnotice- 
able  until  the  ruin  was  entered. 

A  curious  place  to  build  a  cottage,  and  nobody 
seemed  to  know  who  put  it  up  or  for  what  purpose 
the  place  was  selected.  It  was  there  when  William 
Chesney  bought  the  estate  and  it  was  a  long  time 
before  he  knew  of  its  existence. 

Tom  Thrush,  head  gamekeeper  at  Trent  Park, 
occupied  it,  living  there  with  his  daughter  Jane,  a 
pretty  girl  of  twenty,  a  lonely  place  for  her;  yet 
she  liked  it  and  loved  to  wander  in  the  woods  and 
roam  about  in  the  great  forest  bordering  on  the 
Park. 

Tom  Thrush,  for  many  years,  was  employed  at 
Chesney's  Brewery;  it  was  at  his  own  request  he 
was  sent  to  Trent  Park  and  installed  as  second 
keeper  and  then  raised  to  head  keeper  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years.  He  was  a  strange  man,  lonely, 
taciturn,  passionately  fond  of  his  daughter,  and 
spent  the  bulk  of  his  time  in  the  forest,  where  he 
studied  wood-craft  and  the  habits  of  all  wild  birds 
and  animals.  There  was  something  almost  un- 
canny in  the  way  he  made  friends  with  the  wild 
things  of  the  woods  and  forests ;  no  living  bird  or 
animal   seemed  to   fear  him,  and  he  taught  Jane 


TRENT  PARK  13 

much  wild  lore  and  how  to  make  friends  with  the 
denizens  of  the  woods. 

The  preserving  of  game  was  strictly  carried  out 
at  Trent  Park  and  thousands  of  birds  were  killed 
every  season ;  in  this  Tom  Thrush  was  most  success- 
ful, a  prince  among  keepers. 

The  Park  abounded  with  massive  oaks,  and  no 
doubt  at  one  time  had  been  part  of  Sherwood  Forest, 
and  these  were  ancient  trees  that  had  been  spared 
when  others  fell.  Centuries  old  some  of  them,  with 
vast  trunks  and  huge  gnarled,  twisted  branches 
which  seemed  to  have  suffered  from  terrible  con- 
vulsions of  nature,  been  put  on  the  wrack,  as  it  were, 
and  come  forth  mutilated  in  a  hundred  deformities. 

There  were  deer  in  the  Park,  and  white  cattle, 
almost  wild,  sometimes  dangerous,  they  were  con- 
fined in  a  strong  ring  fence. 

One  part  of  the  Park  was  laid  out  in  paddocks 
for  the  blood  stock,  and  here  the  young  thorough- 
breds from  the  Trent  Stud  galloped  about  and 
played  their  games  until  it  was  time  for  them  to  be 
be  broken  in  and  sent  to  the  trainer. 

Well-kept  roads  ran  in  various  directions  through 
the  Park,  there  was  plenty  of  water,  a  minor  river 
running  through  on  its  way  to  join  the  Trent.  It 
was  indeed  a  glorious  place  and  Alan  Chesney 
might  well  be  counted  a  lucky  man  to  own  it. 

His  two  friends  had  gone,  after  staying  a  week, 


14  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

and  it  was  arranged  they  should  meet  at  Epsom 
for  the  Derby. 

It  was  seldom  Alan  Chesney  was  alone  in  the  big 
house;  many  times  he  wished  it  smaller,  not  so 
roomy,  more  cosy,  in  keeping  with  his  bachelor 
habits.  There  were  parts  of  it  he  had  only  been  in 
once  or  twice.  The  long  picture  gallery  he  shunned, 
although  some  exquisite  modern  paintings  hung 
there. 

When  he  came  into  possession  he  had  some  of 
the  smaller  and  brighter  pictures  removed  into  the 
living  rooms  and  the  spaces  were  still  left  vacant. 
The  windows  in  this  gallery  overlooked  the  Park, 
in  the  distance  the  keep  could  be  seen,  and  farther 
away  a  corner  of  the  monastery.  There  were  large 
reception-rooms,  and  bedrooms  the  size  of  the 
ground  floor  of  a  small  house.  The  dining-room 
was  oak  panelled,  the  ceiling  oak,  and  it  was  fur- 
nished with  massive  chairs  and  a  huge  table. 
There  was  a  great  sideboard,  carved  by  Gibbons, 
which  cost  an  enormous  sum,  carvings  adorned  the 
wood  mantelpiece  over  the  open  fireplace.  It  was 
a  room  in  which  fifty  guests  might  sit  down  with 
ease. 

Alan  had  his  favorite  rooms,  the  smallest  in  the 
house;  his  study  was  a  model  of  comfort,  and 
there  was  another  room  opening  from  it  which  con- 


TRENT  PARK  15 

tained  all  his  sporting  paraphernalia.  There  were 
guns  of  various  makes,  over  a  dozen;  Harry  Morby 
had  tested  some  of  them  and  expressed  the  opinion 
that  a  bad  shot  might  kill  birds  with  such  weapons. 

A  case  of  fishing-rods  occupied  one  side  of  the 
room.  Half  a  dozen  saddles,  some  racing  jackets, 
bridles,  dog  collars,  boxing  gloves,  foils,  whips, 
boots,  spurs,  miscellaneous  tools  handy  for  sporting 
purposes. 

Pictures  of  racing  and  hunting  scenes  hung  on 
the  walls;  there  was  a  life-like  painting  of  Fred 
Archer,  the  beautiful  eyes  being  perfect,  also  an- 
other of  Tom  Cannon,  Mornington  Cannon,  George 
Fordham,  portraits  of  Maher,  Frank  Wotton  and 
several  well-known  gentleman  riders  who  were 
friends  of  Alan's. 

This  was  the  room  where  guests  were  wont  to 
congregate  and  talk  over  the  day's  shooting,  or 
discuss  the  merits  of  horses  and  jockeys. 

Alan  had  breakfast,  and  came  into  this  room  to 
read  the  papers  before  going  for  his  customary 
ride ;  he  was  always  ready  and  fit  to  accept  a  mount 
in  a  welter  race,  or  ride  over  the  sticks  in  the  hurdle 
and  chasing  season. 

He  looked  carelessly  at  half  a  dozen  papers  but 
his  attention  wandered,  he  could  not  concentrate  his 
thoughts  on  anything  he  saw,  he  read  bits  here  and 


i6  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

there  but  they  were  not  fixed  in  his  mind.  He 
tossed  the  papers  in  a  heap  on  the  table,  filled  his 
pipe  and  smoked  dreamily. 

There  were  a  dozen  servants  in  the  house  but 
he  was  the  only  occupant  of  the  owner's  quarters. 
He  did  not  feel  exactly  lonely,  but  he  liked  some- 
body to  talk  with,  and  having  been  a  few  days  by 
himself  he  wished  for  company. 

Evelyn  Berkeley  was  at  The  Forest  and  he 
thought  he  would  ride  over  and  see  her;  she  was 
always  good  company  and  he  liked  her,  but  she  was 
dangerously  charming  and  he  acknowledged  he  felt 
the  influence  when  in  her  presence. 

Why  not  marry  her?  He  was  sure  she  would 
accept  him  if  he  proposed,  and  there  was  no  woman 
more  fitted  to  be  the  mistress  of  Trent  Park. 

More  than  once  he  had  been  on  the  verge  of 
putting  the  question  to  her  but  something  prevented 
him  and  he  was  rather  glad  he  had  escaped. 

Over  and  over  again  he  had  asked  himself  if  he 
loved  her  and  found  no  satisfactory  answer. 

He  knew  many  of  his  male  friends  accepted  it  as 
a  foregone  conclusion  he  would  marry  Evelyn 
Berkeley,  and  he  smiled  as  he  thought  how  they 
discussed  him  and  his  matrimonial  prospects. 

It  pleased  him  to  think  she  preferred  his  society 
to   that  of  other  men,   it  flattered  him  when  he 


TRENT  PARK  17 

recalled  she  might  have  been  a  countess  had  she 
wished.  He  asked  her  why  she  did  not  accept  the 
titled  suitor  and  she  replied  that  titles  had  no  attrac- 
tion for  her,  that  her  mind  was  made  up ;  there  was 
somebody  she  liked  very  much,  he  might  ask  her  to 
be  his  wife  some  day  and  she  would  wait. 

He  rode  several  miles  at  a  fast  pace  in  the  Park 
before  turning  his  horse's  head  in  the  direction  of 
The  Forest. 

As  he  was  passing  the  monastery  ruins  he  saw 
Jane  Thrush.  She  looked  very  sweet  and  winsome 
in  her  plain  brown  frock  which  matched  the  color  of 
her  hair;  she  had  no  hat,  and  its  luxurious  growth 
added  to  her  rather  refined  rustic  beauty. 

Alan  was  always  courteous  to  women,  and  Jane 
was  one  of  his  favorites;  so  was  her  father,  he  had 
a  sincere  regard  for  the  sturdy,  silent  gamekeeper. 

"  Beautiful  morning,  Jane,"  he  said.  "  You  love 
to  be  out  in  the  sun  ?  " 

She  smiled  at  him.  How  handsome  he  looked 
on  his  horse,  and  how  well  he  sat  the  animal ! 

"  I  am  going  to  Little  Trent  to  buy  a  few  things 
for  the  house.  I  generally  go  through  the  wood," 
she  said. 

"  You  and  your  father  live  quiet  lives  here. 
Wouldn't  you  like  to  be  in  the  village  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh  no.     I  love  the  old  ruin,  and  the  cottage 


18  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

is  so  sweet  I  couldn't  bear  to  leave  it,  and  I'm  sure 
Father  would  sooner  be  here  than  anywhere,"  said 
Jane  eagerly. 

Alan  laughed  as  he  replied : 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  you  shall  live  in  the  cottage 
as  long  as  you  like.  Do  you  ever  feel  afraid  when 
you  are  alone  at  night?  " 

"  No ;  why  should  I  ?  No  one  ever  comes  here, 
and  there's  Jack  always  on  guard." 

"  Wonderful  dog,  Jack,"  said  Alan  smiling. 

"  He  is.  It's  three  years  since  you  gave  him  to 
me.     He  is  my  constant  companion." 

"  He's  a  well-bred  dog  anyway ;  these  black  re- 
trievers are  hard  to  beat." 

"If  anything  happened  to  him  I  don't  know  what 
I'd  do,"  she  said. 

"  I  do,"  he  answered.  "  I'd  give  you  another 
in  his  place." 

"  That  wouldn't  be  the  same  at  all,"  she  said. 

"  You  prefer  old  friends?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed." 

"  Then  I  hope  Jack  will  live  a  long  time  to  be 
your  faithful  companion,"  said  Alan. 


CHAPTER  III 
"  he's  a  spy  " 

EVELYN  BERKELEY  was  at  home,  instruc- 
tions were  given  that  Mr.  Chesney  was  to  be 
admitted  when  he  called.  She  greeted  him  cor- 
dially ;  he  saw  she  was  pleased  to  see  him. 

"  You  bring  the  fresh  air  in  with  you.  I  sup- 
pose you  have  been  riding  in  the  Park  ?  "  she  said, 
as  she  gave  him  her  hand  and  a  bright  smile. 

"  It's  the  best  part  of  the  day  for  riding.  I 
wonder  you  do  not  go  out  more  on  horseback,  you 
are  a  good  rider.'' 

"  You  really  think  so  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  really." 

"  I  have  no  one  to  ride  with." 

"  There's  me,  won't  I  do?  "  he  asked  laughing. 

"  Oh  yes,  you'll  do  very  well  indeed,  but  I  have 
to  be  careful;  I'm  a  lone  woman  and  people  talk." 

"  Let  'em,"  said  Alan. 

"  That's  all  very  well  from  your  standpoint ; 
you're  a  man,  that  makes  all  the  difference." 

"  Not  in  these  days.     Women  are  taking  a  hand 

19 


20  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

in  most  tilings,  giving  the  men  a  lead.  They  are 
independent ;  probably  they  are  right." 

"  Yes,  I  think  they  are,  but  still  there  are  some 
things  they  cannot  do ;  women  are  more  likely  to  be 
talked  about  than  men,  it  matters  more  to  them." 

"Why  should  it?" 

"  Because  women  are  women,  I  can't  give  you  a 
better  answer,"  she  said  laughing. 

"  I  met  Jane  Thrush  as  I  came  past  the  monas- 
tery," he  said.  "Pretty  girl,  is  she  not?  She 
seems  to  like  her  lonely  life  at  the  cottage,  at  least 
she  says  so." 

"  A  very  pretty  girl,  and  a  good  girl,"  was  her 
reply.    ■ 

"  Do  you  see  her  sometimes  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  very  often ;  she  comes  here  when  she  likes, 
Hannah  is  fond  of  her." 

"  You're  lucky  to  have  Hannah  Moss." 

"  I  am;  she's  a  treasure." 

"  Been  at  The  Forest  for  years,  hasn't  she  ?  " 

"  She  nursed  me,  that's  a  long  time  ago." 

He  laughed  as  he  said: 

"  Not  so  very  long  ago,  Eve ;  we  were  playmates, 
I  am  not  very  ancient." 

"  Well,  it  seems  a  long  time  since  I  was  a  girl 
and  you  a  boy." 

"  We  were  good  pals." 

"  Always." 


HE'S  A  SPY"  21 


And  we  are  now?  "  he  questioned. 

Pals?     Does  that  fit  the  case?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  hope  so;  I  trust  it  always  will." 

She  hoped  not,  she  wanted  a  deeper  feeling  to 
develop. 

Alan  looked  well,  such  a  fine  healthy  man,  strong, 
athletic,  and  she  loved  him;  he  little  knew  the 
strength  of  her  feelings  for  him,  how  she  longed  to 
be  his,  to  be  conquered  by  him,  to  feel  his  strength 
pitted  against  her  woman  weakness.  She  kept  her- 
self in  check,  there  was  very  little  outward  show  of 
her  love  for  him,  although  sometimes  it  would  not 
be  banished  from  her  eyes,  and  they  were  beautiful 
eyes,  eloquent,  expressive,  and  this  morning  as  she 
looked  at  him  the  love-light  shone  there,  and  he  felt 
its  power. 

She  was  a  beautiful  woman,  he  would  not  have 
been  the  man  he  was  had  he  not  felt  her  charm. 
She  was  a  woman  well  developed  in  mind  and  body, 
her  taste  in  dress  was  exquisite,  she  knew  what 
suited  her  and  declined  to  be  fashioned  by  her  dress- 
maker. She  stood  facing  him,  close  to  him,  and  his 
senses  were  intoxicated  by  her  fragrance.  The 
scent  she  used  was  delicate,  the  perfume  exquisite, 
it  was  peculiar  to  her;  a  very  dangerous  woman 
when  she  cared  to  exercise  her  powers. 

"  By  Jove,  Eve,  you  do  look  splendid !  "  he  ex- 
claimed with  genuine  enthusiasm. 


22  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

She  flushed  slightly.  It  was  a  tribute  to  her 
charm  and  she  accepted  it;  there  could  be  no  doubt 
about  his  sincerity. 

"  Do  I  look  better  than  usual  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  You  always  look  well,  but  this  morning  you 
excel  yourself,  you  are  grand!  I  mean  it.  What 
a  prize  for  some  lucky  man  to  win !  " 

She  laughed. 

"  The  lucky  man  has  not  come  along  yet  appar- 
ently; I  am  near  thirty,"  she  said. 

"  At  the  height  of  your  charms;  you'll  meet  the 
right  man  one  day  and  he'll  be  carried  off  his  feet 
and  surrender  at  once,  he'll  have  no  option." 

"  Can't  he  see,  oh,  can't  he  see  he  is  the  right 
man!  I'd  fling  myself  into  his  arms  if  he  asked 
me,"  she  thought  with  longing. 

"  He  will  have  to  hurry  up,"  she  answered  smil- 
ing. 

He  remained  an  hour  or  so  and  then  left. 

"  Be  sure  and  come  to  my  house  in  town  in  Derby 
week,"  she  said. 

"  I'll  be  there.     You  asked  me  to  stay." 

"Will  you?" 

"  I  dare  not,"  he  said  with  a  laugh,  as  he  mounted 
his  horse  and  rode  away.  She  stood  on  the  steps 
watching;  at  the  gate  he  turned  and  raised  his  hat, 
she  waved  her  hand,  and  with  a  sigh,  went  into  the 
house. 


"  HE'S  A  SPY  "  23 

Hannah  Moss,  at  one  of  the  upstairs  windows, 
saw  him  ride  away. 

"  Drat  the  man,"  she  murmured,  "  why  doesn't 
he  marry  her;  they're  made  for  each  other." 

Eve  went  for  a  walk  after  lunch  and  her  way 
took  her  to  the  village  of  Little  Trent.  She  was 
popular  with  the  villagers,  the  lady  bountiful  of  the 
district,  and  gave  with  a  liberal  hand. 

Abel  Head  stood  outside  the  Sherwood  Inn  as  she 
came  along,  he  touched  his  cap,  she  stopped. 

"  We're  having  glorious  weather,"  she  said.  "  I 
suppose  you  are  going  to  the  Derby?  " 

"  Never  miss  if  I  can  help,"  he  replied.  "What's 
going  to  win,  Miss  Berkeley?  " 

"  Merry  Monarch,"  she  answered  promptly. 

"  No!  "  exclaimed  Abel.     "  Who  told  you?  " 

"  That's  a  secret,"  she  said  laughing. 

"  He's  at  a  good  price." 

"  A  hundred  to  eight." 

"  I'll  risk  a  trifle  on  him,"  said  Abel. 

"  Don't  back  him  because  I've  told  you,"  she  said; 
"  he  may  lose." 

"  He  belongs  to  Baron  Childs ;  he's  a  straight  'un." 

"  He's  as  straight  as  they  make  them,"  said  Eve. 
"  How's  Richard?     Have  you  heard  from  him?  " 

"  Not  lately,  thank  you  for  asking.  I  wish  he'd 
not  joined  the  army;  he'd  have  done  better  to  stay 
here  and  help  me,"  said  Abel. 


24  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 


tt 


Why  did  he  join?"  she  asked. 

"  Got  restless,  I  suppose  and "  he  hesitated. 

"And  what  else?" 

"  He  was  very  fond  of  Jane  Thrush,"  said  Abel. 

"  And  Jane  did  not  give  him  much  encourage- 
ment?" 

"  That's  about  the  strength  of  it,"  said  Abel. 

"  Jane  is  devoted  to  her  father,"  said  Eve. 

"  No  doubt  about  that,  but  she'll  wed  someday, 
and  Dick's  not  a  bad  sort,"  said  Abel. 

"  He'll  make  a  good  soldier,  Abel." 

"  Perhaps  he  will ;  he'll  be  a  fighter,  and  it  looks 
to  me  as  though  there'll  be  a  burst  up  before  long." 

"You  think  so?" 

"  Certain  sure  I  do ;  there'll  be  no  peace  anywhere 
until  the  Germans  are  licked." 

Eve  laughed. 

"  I  understood  we  were  better  friends  than  ever 
with  Germany,"  she  replied. 

"  Some  folks  will  tell  you  that,  but  don't  you 
believe  them,  Miss  Berkeley.  They're  a  nasty  spy- 
ing lot,  I'd  trust  none  of  'em,"  said  Abel. 

"  I  hope  you  are  wrong,  war  is  a  terrible  thing," 
she  said. 

"  So  it  is  in  a  way,  but  we've  been  asleep  too  long, 
it  won't  do  us  any  harm  to  be  roused  up,"  said  Abel. 
"  There's  a  man  staying  at  my  place  I  have  my 
doubts  about,"  he  said  mysteriously. 


"  HE'S  A  SPY  "  25 

"  What  sort  of  doubts?  "  she  asked. 

"  He  goes  by  the  name  of  Carl  Meason,  but  he's 
a  German,  I'm  sure  of  it,  and  he's  a  spy,"  said 
Abel. 

She  looked  surprised  as  she  said: 

"  What  would  a  German  spy  find  to  do  in  Little 
Trent?" 

"  That's  more* than  I  can  tell ;  probably  he's  spying 
out  the  land." 

She  laughed. 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  he?  "  she  asked. 

"  Not  a  bad-looking  chap,  talks  well,  but  there's 
something  suspicious  about  him. 

"  Does  he  speak  with  a  foreign  accent?  " 

"  No ;  speaks  English  as  well  as  I  do,"  said  Abel. 

Eve  smiled:  Abel's  English  was  at  times  a  trifle 
weird. 

"  Then  I'm  sure  he's  not  a  German  if  he  speaks 
as  well  as  you,  Abel,"  she  said. 

"  Now  you're  chaffing  me,"  he  replied. 

"  Not  at  all;  I  am  sure  you  speak  very  well." 

"If  he's  not  a  German  he's  a  spy  of  some  sort 
I'm  certain.  He's  always  looking  at  maps,  drawing 
plans,  making  notes  and  figuring  up  things.  It's 
my  belief  he's  hit  on  Little  Trent  by  chance  and 
came  to  my  place  because  it's  quiet  and  out  of  the 
way.  There's  something  wrong  with  him;  if  he's 
not  German  he's  in  the  pay  of  somebody  connected 


26  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

with  'em.  I'd  bet  my  last  bob  he's  a  spy  of  some 
sort,  and  I'll  keep  my  eye  on  him,"  said  Abel. 

When  Abel  went  into  the  Inn  he  found  a  map 
spread  on  the  table  in  the  room  occupied  by  Carl 
Meason.  He  glanced  at  it  and  saw  small  pins  stuck 
in  various  places  where  lines  were  printed.  Putting 
on  his  glasses  he  saw  these  were  road  lines  and 
noticed  most  of  them  in  which  the  pins  were  sticking 
ran  from  the  coast  inland ;  he  had  no  time  for  fur- 
ther observation,  as  Meason  entered  the  room. 

"  Rather  a  good  map,  is  it  not?  "  asked  the  man. 

"  Should  think  so ;  I  don't  know  much  about 
maps,"  said  Abel.     "  What's  all  these  pins  for?  " 

"  I  am  a  surveyor.  I  am  going  through  some 
of  the  roads  on  this  ma'p;  I  shall  have  to  inspect 
them  shortly.  I  came  here  to  do  my  work  quietly. 
I  daresay  you  wondered  what  I  was  at  Little  Trent 
for?"  said  Carl. 

"  I  have  been  wondering,"  said  Abel.  "  So  you're 
a  surveyor  ?  " 

"  Yes;  I'm  considered  clever  at  the  work." 

"  You're  a  Government  surveyor?  "  asked  Abel. 

"  I  am." 

"  I  notice  most  of  the  roads  you  have  marked  run 
from  the  coast  inland." 

"  That's  my  division ;  I  am  doing  this  for  army 
purposes." 


"  HE'S  A  SPY  "  27 

"  Oh ! ':  exclaimed  Abel.  "  For  our  Govern- 
ment? " 

Carl  Meason  looked  at  him  quickly;  Abel's  face 
made  him  smile,  he  did  not  look  extra  sharp. 

"  I'm  not  likely  to  survey  roads  for  army  pur- 
poses for  any  other  Government,"  he  said. 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  It  must  be  interesting 
work." 

"  It  is,  very;  the  more  you  get  into  this  business, 
the  better  you  like  it,"  said  Carl. 

Abel  left  him  bending  over  the  map.  When  Carl 
heard  the  door  closed  he  looked  up,  a  scowl  on  his 
face.  "  Curse  the  old  fool,"  he  muttered.  "  Won- 
der why  he  asked  me  if  it  was  our  Government  I  was 
working  for  ?  " 

He  rolled  up  the  map  carefully,  ticking  the  place 
where  he  had  left  the  pins  in  red  ink. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  AUSTRALIAN   GIRL 

DERBY  week,  London  hummed  and  bustled 
with  excitement.  Sport  was  in  the  air,  rac- 
ing ;  everybody  talking  about  the  great  event.  There 
were  thousands  of  visitors  in  the  city;  it  was  easy  to 
pick  out  the  strangers. 

Evelyn  Berkeley's  house  overlooked  Regent's 
Park.  It  was  some  way  out  of  town,  but  she  found 
this  recompensed  by  the  view,  and  it  was  easy  to 
get  about  in  her  motor.  Alan  Chesney  called  when 
he  arrived  in  London,  before  her  visitors  came. 

Conversation  turned  on  the  Derby  and  the  Epsom 
meeting  generally. 

"  Merry  Monarch  is  my  tip,"  she  said.  "  I  had 
it  from  the  Baron;  he  fancies  his  horse  tremen- 
dously." 

"  It  would  be  a  popular  win,"  answered  Alan. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything?  " 

"  The  tip  at  the  club  last  night  was  Gold  Star,"  he 
said. 

"The  favorite?" 

" A  very  hot   favorite.     I    fancy  he'll  be   even 

28 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  GIRL  29 

money  on  Wednesday.  Have  you  known  Baron 
Childslong?" 

"  Some  months;  I  was  introduced  to  him  at  Good- 
wood last  year,  in  fact  he  was  one  of  the  house 
party  at  Colonel  Buxton's." 

"  Very  rich  man,  is  he  not?  "  asked  Alan. 

"A  millionaire  I  believe;  he  is  very  unassuming, 
I  like  him,"  she  said. 

Alan  smiled  as  he  said : 

"  He  is  a  bachelor,  the  head  of  a  great  banking 
firm,  I  wonder  he  does  not  marry." 

"  He  has  a  wide  choice,  many  lovely  women  would 
be  glad  of  a  chance  to  accept  him." 

Alan  wondered  if  the  Baron  had  given  a  thought 
to  Evelyn  Berkeley ;  it  was  highly  probable. 

"  The  all-scarlet  jacket  has  won  many  big  races 
but  not  a  Derby;  perhaps  it's  his  turn  this  year," 
said  Alan. 

"  I  hope  so,  I  have  backed  Merry  Monarch,"  she 
said. 

;'  I  called  to  give  you  some  information  about 
my  horses.  I  am  likely  to  win  three  races,  so  my 
trainer  says,  and  he  is  not  an  over-confident  man." 

"  Lucky  fellow,  three  races  in  Derby  week ;  your 
colors  will  be  worth  following." 

"  On  the  opening  day  Robin  Hood  should  win  the 
Epsom  Plate,"  said  Alan. 

"  That  will  be  a  good  beginning.     We  shall  all 


30  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

have  our  pockets  filled  for  Derby  Day,"  laughed 
Evelyn. 

"  He's  a  pretty  good  horse,  make  a  note  of  him." 

"  I  shan't  forget,  no  need  to  write  down  the  names 
of  your  horses,"  she  replied. 

"  The  Duke  has  a  big  chance  in  the  Royal 
Stakes;  I  have  a  first-class  two-year-old  running  in 
the  Acorn  Stakes.  It  will  be  her  first  appearance ; 
she's  a  splendid  creature,  a  real  beauty,"  said  Alan. 

"  That's  Robin  Hood,  The  Duke,  and  what's  this 
wonderful  two-year-old's  name?" 

"  Evelyn,"  he  replied. 

Of  course  she  knew  it  was  named  after  her  and 
she  was  gratified. 

"  Oh,  Alan!  "  she  exclaimed,  "  that's  splendid  of 
you." 

"If  she  were  not  a  real  flyer,  with  every  prospect 
of  winning  at  the  first  time  of  asking,  I'd  not  have 
named  her  Evelyn.  I  waited  until  Skane  pro- 
nounced her  one  of  the  best  before  risking  it,"  he 
said. 

"  And  you  think  she'll  win  ?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"  I  shall  be  very  disappointed  if  she  fails.  With 
such  a  name  she  can't  fail,"  he  said,  smiling. 

Alan  stood  near  the  window ;  he  saw  a  lady  coming 
up  the  walk. 

"  A  visitor,"  he  said.     "  I'll  be  off." 

Evelyn  laughed. 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  GIRL  31 

"  It  is  Ella  Hallam ;  I  don't  think  you  have  met 
her.  She's  an  Australian  girl,  I  went  to  school 
with  her.  She  returned  to  Sydney  when  she  finished 
her  education,  and  only  came  to  London  a  month 
ago.  We  have  corresponded  regularly.  I  like  her 
very  much;  perhaps  you  may  have  heard  me  speak 
of  her." 

"  I  don't  think  I  have,"  he  said. 

"  Please  don't  go,  I  want  to  introduce  you.  She 
is  coming  to  stay  with  me  at  The  Forest  when  the 
Epsom  meeting  is  over;  her  father  races  in  Aus- 
tralia, I  believe  he  once  won  the  Melbourne  Cup," 
she  said. 

Ella  Hallam  came  into  the  room.  When  she  saw 
Alan  she  said: 

"  I  did  not  know  you  had  a  visitor.  I  ought  to 
have  asked.     It  is  rude  of  me." 

"  Alan  Chesney  is  an  old  friend,"  said  Eve. 
"  Allow  me  to  introduce  you." 

They  shook  hands,  their  eyes  met,  and  Ella 
Hallam  felt  something  in  her  life  was  changed  from 
that  moment;  as  for  Alan,  he  seemed  quite  uncon- 
scious he  had  created  any  interest  out  of  the  com- 
mon. 

"  Yes,  I  come  from  Sydney,"  replied  Ella,  in 
answer  to  his  question  about  Australia. 

"  And  your  father  owns  racers?  "  he  asked. 

"Yes;    racing    is    his    chief    amusement.     He's 


32  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

always  saying  it  is  a  very  expensive  hobby,  and 
exhorts  me  to  economize  in  order  that  he  may  keep 
things  going,"  she  replied,  laughing.  "  He  is  com- 
ing to  England.  I  expect  him  in  about  a  month. 
He  may  bring  one  or  two  horses,  he  was  thinking  of 
doing  so  I  know.  He  has  a  very  high  opinion  of 
our  thoroughbreds,  thinks  they  are  equal  to  your 
best." 

Alan  laughed  as  he  replied : 

"  I  have  seen  some  of  your  horses  run  here.  They 
are  good,  but  equal  to  our  best,  no ;  at  least  I  do  not 
think  so.  I  have  two  I'd  like  to  match  against 
any  colonial-bred  horse." 

'  Perhaps  my  father  will  give  you  a  chance  if  he 
brings  Rainstorm,"  she  said. 

"  Is  he  a  good  horse?  " 

"  Rather,  he  won  the  Melbourne  Cup,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"  Then  I  shall  be  taking  something  on  if  I  tackle 
him  ?  "  he  said. 

"  You  will  —  and  you'll  be  beaten,"  she  answered 
confidently. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  he  replied. 

"  Mr.  Chesney  hopes  to  win  three  races  at  Epsom 
this  week,"  said  Eve.  She  spoke  sharply,  she 
thought  they  were  having  the  conversation  to  them- 
selves.    It  was  evident  they  would  soon  be  on  a 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  GIRL  33 

very  friendly  footing  if  sufficient  opportunity  of- 
fered. 

"  I'd  love  to  see  your  horses  win  —  and  back 
them,"  said  Ella,  still  speaking  to  Alan. 

Eve  looked  at  Alan,  something  in  her  expression 
warned  him  she  was  not  in  the  best  of  tempers  — 
why? 

He  spoke  to  her,  answering  Ella's  remark. 

"  I  am  glad  your  friend  will  be  pleased  to  see  my 
horses  victorious,"  he  said. 

"  It  would  be  strange  if  she  were  not,  especially 
as  she  says  she  will  back  them  —  eh,  Ella  ?  "  said 
Eve. 

"  And  you  ?     You  will  back  them  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Of  course;  he  has  just  given  me  the  tips,  that  is 
what  he  called  about,"  said  Eve. 

"  And  also  to  see  you,"  thought  Ella. 

"What  do  you  think  of  Mr.  Chesney?"  asked 
Eve  when  Alan  left. 

"  He's  a  very  good-looking  man  and  I  should 
think  extremely  agreeable  and  excellent  company. 
Is  he  an  old  friend?  "  said  Ella. 

"  We  have  known  each  other  since  we  were  chil- 
dren." 

"  My  goodness,  how  jolly !  And  I  suppose  you 
are  quite  chums  still,"  exclaimed  Ella. 

Eve  laughed  as  she  replied : 
We  are  staunch  friends.     His  estate  joins  my 


<( 


34  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

little  place  where  you  are  coming  to  stay  with  me," 
said  Eve. 

"  I  shall  have  opportunities  of  meeting  him,'' 
thought  Ella.  "  You  must  see  him  often  ?  "  she  said 
aloud. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  sometimes  two  or  three  times  a  week. 
He  calls  when  he  likes  and  I  am  always  at  home  to 
him." 

"  It  must  be  ripping  to  have  a  man  friend  like 
that;  no  silly  sentiment,  no  love  business  about  it; 
but  he  would  be  blind  if  he  did  not  admire  you, 
Eve,"  she  said. 

Eve  laughed.  She  wondered  what  Ella  would 
think  if  she  knew  how  she  loved  Alan,  loved  him 
desperately. 

"  I  don't  think  love  has  ever  entered  into  his  cal- 
culations in  connection  with  me,"  she  said. 

"  But  he  must  admire  you,  he  couldn't  help  it," 
said  Ella  heartily. 

"  I  daresay  he  does.  He  has  an  eye  for  beauty  in 
■women  and  horses." 

"  Couples  them  together,  does  he,"  said  Ella ; 
"  and  probably  prefers  the  four-legged  creatures." 

"  He  looked  you  over  pretty  well,"  said  Eve. 

She  blushed  slightly  as  she  replied: 

"  I  didn't  notice  it.  Do  you  think  he  was  satis- 
fied with  the  scrutiny?  " 

"  It's  hard  to  tell  when  he's  pleased,  he  takes 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  GIRL  35 

everything  as  it  comes,  but  I  think  he  has  decided  in 
your  favor." 

"  Do  you  ?  That's  rather  good  of  him,  most  con- 
descending," said  Ella. 

Next  day  they  went  to  Epsom.  There  was  a 
party  of  ten,  a  merry  lot;  there  was  no  mistaking 
they  were  on  pleasure  bent  and  on  good  terms  with 
themselves. 

Eve  had  a  box.  She  always  did  things  well,  and 
took  care  when  she  went  racing  she  was  comfortable 
and  had  plenty  of  elbow-room.  Alan  came  into  the 
box  after  the  first  race ;  he  was  cordially  greeted. 

"  I  expect  Miss  Berkeley  has  told  you  Robin  Hood 
is  likely  to  win  the  Epsom  Plate,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  we've  got  the  straight  tip,"  said  one  of  the 
party. 

"  I  can  confirm  it,  you  can  put  a  bit  extra  on  him, 
it's  a  real  good  thing,"  he  said  with  a  laugh. 

He  stood  close  to  Ella,  his  arm  touched  hers,  she 
felt  a  thrill ;  turning  to  him  she  said : 

"  What  a  strange  place  Epsom  is !  Such  a  crowd, 
and  there's  no  comfort;  we're  all  right  here,  thanks 
to  Eve,  but  over  there  it's  horrible,"  and  she  pointed 
to  the  hill. 

"  There  will  be  twice  as  many  people  to-morrow," 
he  said.  "Perhaps  three  or  four  times  as  many; 
Derby  Day  is  one  of  the  sights  of  the  world,  it  is 
never  equalled  anywhere." 


36  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  We  can  beat  you  at  Flemington,"  she  replied, 
"  and  Randwick.  Not  so  many  people,  but  as  for 
comfort,  well,  you  simply  don't  know  what  it  is  here. 
Where's  the  paddock?  "  she  asked,  looking  round. 

"  Over  there,"  said  Alan,  pointing  in  that  direc- 
tion. "  Would  you  like  to  go  ?  There's  more  room 
to-day,  it  will  be  crowded  to-morrow.  It's  rather  a 
good  paddock,  when  you  get  to  it,  picturesque." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  it  very  much." 

"  Then  I'll  take  you  there,"  he  said,  and  turning 
to  Eve  asked  : 

"  Are  you  going  to  the  paddock  ?  " 

"  It's  hardly  worth  while.  We'll  go  to-morrow 
and  see  the  Derby  horses,"  she  said. 

"  Miss  Hallam  wishes  to  see  it.  I'll  just  take  her 
and  bring  her  back  safely ;  we  shan't  be  long.  Come 
along,"  he  said  to  Ella. 

"You  don't  mind?"  said  Ella  to  Eve  as  they 
passed. 

"  Not  at  all ;  why  should  I  ?  "  was  the  sharp  reply, 
and  from  her  tone  Ella  gathered  she  did  mind,  and 
felt  mischievous. 

"  I'll  take  good  care  of  her,"  said  Alan. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Eve  quietly. 

"  What  a  trouble  it  is  to  get  there !  "  said  Ella  as 
Alan  led  her  through  the  crowd. 

"  Yes,  a  bit  bumpy,  but  they're  a  good-natured  lot, 
although  a  trifle  rough." 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  GIRL  37 

There  were  not  many  people  in  the  paddock. 
Alan  pointed  out  The  Duddans  and  other  points  of 
interest. 

"  Come  and  see  Robin  Hood  and  tell  me  what  you 
think  of  him,"  he  said. 

"Where  is  he?" 

"  Over  there." 

"  Surrounded  by  his  merry  men,"  she  said,  laugh- 
ing, as  she  saw  a  dozen  or  more  people  looking  at  the 
horse 


CHAPTER  V 

ROBIN    HOOD'S    SPEED 

AMONG  the  group  looking  at  Robin  Hood  was 
Harry  Morby.     Alan  introduced  him  to  Ella, 
he  thought  her  very  attractive. 

"  He's  a  beauty,"  said  Ella,  as  she  patted  the 
horse's  neck. 

"  And  he'll  win  the  Plate,"  said  the  trainer. 

"  Your  team  looks  like  playing  a  strong  part  this 
week,"   said  Harry. 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Alan,  who  took  the  trainer 
on  one  side. 

"  So  you're  an  Australian.?  "  said  Harry. 

"  Yes,  I  hail  from  Sydney.  ^1  was  educated  here, 
at  the  same  school  as  Miss  Berkeley.  She  has  in- 
vited me  to  stay  with  her  at  The  Forest." 

"  That's  jolly  for  you,  she's  one  of  the  right  sort, 
everybody  likes  her." 

"  Including  Mr.  Chesney  ?  " 

Harry  laughed  as  he  replied : 

"  We,  that  is  Alan's  male  friends,  think  it  will  be 
a  match  in  time.  They  are  great  friends  and  much 
together." 

38 


ROBIN  HOOD'S  SPEED  39 

"  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  she  is  a  beautiful 
woman,"  said  Ella. 

"  Very ;  it  is  strange  she  has  not  married." 

"  Perhaps  she  is  waiting  until  Mr.  Chesney  asks 
her." 

"  Pity  he  can't  make  up  his  mind,"  said  Harry, 
smiling. 

"  You  think  he'll  win,  Fred  ?  "  said  Alan  to  his 
trainer. 

"  Haven't  much  doubt  about  it ;  here's  Tommy, 
ask  him,"  was  the  reply. 

Tommy  Colley  was  Alan's  jockey.  He  came  up 
wearing  the  brown  jacket,  with  blue  sleeves  and  cap 
—  the  Chesney  colors.  He  was  one  of  the  old 
school,  rode  with  longer  stirrups  than  the  modern 
jockeys,  although  he  had  in  a  measure  conformed  to 
the  crouching  seat.  Alan's  friends  wondered  why 
he  stuck  to  Tommy,  some  of  them  considered  he  was 
getting  past  it,  but  Alan  had  a  knack  of  keeping  to 
old  hands  who  hao?  done  him  good  service.  In 
business  this,  caused  many  a  split  with  the  manager, 
Duncan  Fraser. 

"  Like  his  chance,  Tommy?  "  asked  Alan,  looking 
at  Robin. 

"  Very  much.  I  rode  him  in  his  gallop,  he  ought 
to  win ;  and  that  filly  of  yours  is  a  hummer,"  said  the 
jockey  enthusiastically. 

"And  The  Duke?" 


40  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Good,  but  Evelyn  and  Robin  Hood  are  better." 

"  Is  this  your  jockey?  "  asked  Ella. 

"  Yes ;  Tommy,  this  is  Miss  Hallam,  an  Austral- 
ian, a  friend  of  Miss  Berkeley's." 

"  They  bring  some  good  horses  from  Australia," 
said  Tommy. 

"  And  probably  my  father  will  have  two  or  three 
of  the  best  when  he  arrives,"  she  said. 

There  was  little  time  to  spare  and  they  returned 
to  the  stand,  Harry  Morby  with  them. 

Having  seen  Ella  to  the  box  Alan  went  with  Harry 
to  the  ring.  The  second  race  was  over  and  the 
numbers  had  been  called  out  for  the  Epsom  Plate; 
the  bookmakers  were  already  shouting  the  odds. 

"  Craker's  horse  is  a  hot  pot,"  said  Harry, 
"  there'll  be  danger  in  that  quarter.  When  Peet 
puts  his  money  down  he  generally  has  good  reason 
for  it." 

Peet  Craker  was  a  big  bookmaker,  owner  of 
horses,  a  heavy  bettor  on  his  own  animals;  he  had 
an  enormous  business  on  the  course  and  off. 

The  horse  in  question  was  Bittern,  a  champion 
over  seven  furlongs,  he  could  not  quite  stay  the  mile, 
and  he  was  conceding  ten  pounds  to  Robin  Hood. 

Alan  knew  Craker  well,  the  bookmaker  often  did 
business  with  him  and  for  him.  Sometimes  he  went 
to  Trent  Park.  He  was  a  man  of  good  education, 
there  was  no  coarseness  about  him. 


ROBIN  HOOD'S  SPEED  41 

"  Your  horse  is  favorite,  Peet,"  said  Alan. 

"  He  has  a  big  chance  if  he  can  beat  yours,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  Ten  pounds  is  a  lot  to  give  Robin  Hood  over 
seven  furlongs,"  said  Alan. 

"  My  fellow's  very  well." 

"  So  is  mine." 

"  I'll  save  a  monkey  with  you,"  said  the  book- 
maker. 

"  All  right,  I'm  agreeable,"  was  Alan's  reply. 

Peet  Craker  looked  at  him  as  he  walked  away. 

"  Wonder  if  Robin  Hood  is  as  good  as  Skane 
thinks,"  he  muttered.  "If  he  beats  Bittern  he's  a 
good  'un.  I'll  stand  mine,  but  I'm  glad  we're  saving 
a  monkey." 

Alan  put  money  on  freely  when  he  fancied  his 
horses,  but  he  seldom  bet  on  other  people's.  He 
backed  Robin  Hood  to  win  a  large  sum.  Having 
finished  his  business  in  the  ring  he  returned  to  Ev- 
elyn's box  with  Harry  Morby. 

The  horses  got  away  as  they  entered;  a  black 
jacket,  white  sash  and  cap,  in  front. 

"  Peet's  luck's  in,  that's  Bittern,"  said  Alan ;  "  a 
good  start  makes  all  the  difference  over  this  dis- 
tance." 

The  field  came  down  the  slope  at  a  great  pace. 
There  were  fifteen  horses ;  in  the  center  was  Robin 
Hood,  he  seemed  to  be  hemmed  in. 


42  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Tommy  was  savage.  Not  only  had  Robin  Hood 
been  kicked  at  the  post,  but  also  badly  bumped  and 
knocked  out  of  his  stride  when  they  were  going. 
He  used  forcible  language  to  the  offending  jockey, 
who  retaliated  in  kind. 

Bittern  liked  to  make  the  running,  and  his  rider, 
Will  Gunner,  knew  his  mount  well.  He  had  not 
the  slightest  doubt  about  winning ;  everything  was  in 
the  horse's  favor.  Peet  Craker  looked  through  his 
glasses,  saw  his  colors  a  couple  of  lengths  in  front, 
and  lowered  them,  quite  satisfied. 

At  the  foot  of  the  slope  Bittern  still  led,  followed 
by  Lantern,  Topsy,  and  Retreat;  Robin  Hood 
seemed  out  of  it. 

"  Rotten  luck,  Alan,"  said  Harry.  "  He  was 
knocked  about  at  the  start." 

"  Was  he  ?     I  didn't  see  it,"  he  replied. 

"  He's  coming  now !  "  said  Ella  excitedly. 

"  So  he  is !  "  said  Eve.     "  He  has  a  chance  yet." 

Alan  smiled  as  he  said : 

"  It's  remote.  He's  a  greater  horse  than  I  think  if 
he  can  win." 

Tommy  Colley's  hopes  revived.  Robin  Hood  was 
going  great  guns,  his  speed  was  tremendous.  In  a 
second  or  two  he  ran  into  third  place,  then  going  on 
he  came  behind  Bittern,  and  Will  Gunner  scented 
danger.  The  two  jockeys  were  old  rivals,  and  great 
friends.     Gunner's  style  was  the  crouch  seat  for  all 


ROBIN  HOOD'S  SPEED  43 

it  was  worth ;  he  often  chaffed  Tommy  about  his  long 
legs.  The  different  attitudes  of  the  two  were  appar- 
ent as  they  joined  issue  at  the  distance. 

Robin  Hood  never  flinched  under  the  whip,  and 
sometimes  required  a  reminder  that  a  little  extra 
exertion  was  required.  Tommy  gave  him  a  couple 
of  sharp  cuts,  and  the  brown  and  blue  drew  level  with 
the  black  and  white. 

Both  jockeys  were  hard  at  it.  Bittern  was  game, 
but  the  ten  pounds  he  was  giving  away  began  to  tell. 

In  Evelyn's  box  there  was  much  excitement,  the 
finish  being  watched  with  breathless  interest.  Neck 
and  neck  the  pair  raced,  and  the  struggle  was  con- 
tinued up  to  the  winning-post.  Nobody  knew  which 
won  until  Robin  Hood's  number  went  up. 

There  followed  congratulations  all  round.  The 
party  had  won,  there  was  much  jubilation. 

In  the  evening  Alan  came  round  to  Regent's 
House  and  found  bridge  in  full  swing ;  he  cared  little 
for  cards.  Evelyn,  who  was  playing,  greeted  him 
with  a  smile ;  so  did  Ella,  who  sat  at  the  same  table 
as  her  hostess. 

Later  on  there  was  music.  Ella  had  a  fine  voice, 
she  sang  well,  there  was  evidence  of  careful  train- 
ing. Evelyn  played  as  few  amateurs  play,  and  as 
an  accompanist  she  was  hard  to  equal. 

"  Thanks  so  much,"  said  Ella.  "  You  play  splen- 
didly." 


44  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  And  your  singing  is  lovely,"  answered  Eve. 

Ella  received  the  compliments  modestly.  She 
knew  she  sang  well  and  there  was  no  hesitation 
when  asked.  She  found  herself  talking  to  Alan; 
Evelyn  was  distributing  her  conversation  among 
her  guests.  She  knew  how  to  play  the  hostess,  and 
it  was  easy  to  see  how  popular  she  was;  the  men 
gathered  round  paying  court  to  her.  She  saw  Alan 
and  his  companion  at  the  head  of  the  card-room  and 
frowned  slightly.  Harry  Morby  saw  the  direction 
of  her  glance,  noted  the  expression  of  her  face,  and 
thought : 

"  Alan's  making  a  mess  of  it.  Can't  he  see  she 
loves  him?  He  must  be  blind  if  he  can't.  She'll 
be  taking  on  somebody  else  just  to  show  him  she 
doesn't  care,  but  she  does  very  much  indeed." 

It  was  not  a  late  night.  Evelyn  said  they  must 
be  fresh  for  Derby  Day. 

Ella  bade  Evelyn  good-night  as  she  was  about  to 
enter  her  room. 

"  I  hope  you  have  enjoyed  your  day,"  said  Eve. 

"  Very  much  indeed.  How  well  you  do  every- 
thing! "  answered  Ella. 

"  Glad  you  think  so.  Do  you  know,  Ella,  I  fancy 
you've  made  a  conquest !  " 

"  I  haven't  had  much  time,"  was  the  laughing 
reply,  "  but  I  don't  mind  telling  you  I'm  out  for 
conquest  if  I  come  across  the  right  man.     I  have 


ROBIN  HOOD'S  SPEED  45 

Dad's  permission;  he  thinks  I  shall  be  left  on  his 
hands,  and  I  don't  wish  to  be  a  burden  to  the  poor 
dear." 

She  spoke  lightly,  but  Eve  thought  she  meant 
more  than  she  intended  to  convey. 

"  Mr.  Chesney  admires  you  I  am  sure,"  she  said. 

'  You're  quite  wrong,  my  dear ;  he  has  eyes  for 
nobody  but  you.  I  noticed  it  when  he  was  talking 
to  me  to-night,"  said  Ella. 

As  Evelyn  had  seen  Alan  much  interested  in 
Ella's  conversation,  and  never  had  a  glance  from 
him,  she  had  her  doubts  about  this. 

"  Don't  talk  nonsense,"  she  answered.  "  You 
know  very  well  you  occupied  the  whole  of  his 
attention,  and  one  can't  blame  him ;  you  are  really 
very  charming,  and  looked  quite  winning  to-night." 

Eve  went  along  the  corridor  and  Ella  entered 
her  room.  She  sat  in  an  easy-chair  thinking  over 
the  events  of  the  day.  The  scene  at  Epsom,  the 
racing,  the  excitement  of  winning  did  not  occupy 
her;  Alan  Chesney  predominated  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  else.  From  the  first  he  had  roused  her  interest, 
if  not  something  deeper.  She  found  it  easy  to  tread 
love's  way  where  he  was  concerned ;  she  would  race 
along  it  in  her  gladness  of  heart  hoping  to  win  the 
prize  in  the  end.  He  had  already,  in  so  short  a 
time,  shown  her  many  little  attentions.  It  was  his 
way  with  women,  but  she  accepted  it  exclusively  for 


46  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

herself.  That  evening  he  had  been  interested  in 
what  she  said;  she  had  been  frank  and  candid,  tell- 
ing him  freely  about  herself  and  it  had  not  bored 
him.  She  was  in  doubt  as  to  how  he  felt  toward 
Eve.  He  did  not  show  any  special  feeling  toward 
her,  of  that  she  was  sure,  yet  some  men  conceal  their 
thoughts  admirably.  When  she  came  to  consider 
Eve  it  was  different;  they  were  friends,  comrades  of 
many  years'  standing;  she  was  Eve's  guest,  had 
been  invited  to  The  Forest  to  spend  some  weeks.  It 
wrould  never  do  to  come  between  Eve  and  Alan 
Chesney  if  —  if  there  was  anything  between  them. 
She  hoped  there  was  nothing,  but  was  not  sure. 
She  tried  to  persuade  herself  Chesney  was  nothing 
more  to  Eve  than  a  good  friend,  but  in  this  she 
failed.  She  was  almost  sure  Eve  loved  him,  and 
if  so  she  must  not  attempt  to  rival  her.  She 
smiled,  a  little  sadly,  as  she  thought  it  would  be 
a  difficult  matter  for  any  woman  to  rival  Eve  in 
the  affections  of  a  man;  also  she  had  a  conscience, 
and  it  was  apt  to  be  particular  on  questions  of 
principle. 

It  was  Derby  Day  to-morrow,  there  was  no  reason 
why  she  should  not  look  at  her  best,  so,  like  a  sen- 
sible woman,  she  went  to  rest. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A    FLYING    FILLY 

A  GREAT  crowd  at  Epsom,  a  Derby  Day  crowd 
bent  on  enjoyment  and  backing  winners. 
Ella  gazed  at  the  wonderful  scene  in  astonishment; 
it  was  different  from  anything  she  had  seen. 

It  was  not  a  new  sight  to  Eve,  and  she  smiled  at 
her  friend's  amazement. 

"  I  never  expected  anything  like  this,"  said  Ella. 

"  Is  it  equal  to  a  Melbourne  Cup  crowd?  "  asked 
Eve. 

"More  people,  of  course;  but  it  is  quite  differ- 
ent." 

"  In  what  way?  " 

"  I  hardly  know,  everything  is  different,  the 
course,  the  people,  the  stands,  the  ring,  that  seething 
mass  down  there,"  and  she  pointed  to  Tattersalls. 

"  Wait  till  you  see  the  favorite's  number  go  up, 
then  there'll  be  something  to  look  at,"  said  Alan. 

"Is  Merry  Monarch  favorite?"  she  asked. 

"  No,  Gold  Star  and  he'll  about  win." 

"  Don't  you   believe  him,"  said  Eve,   "  he's  de- 

47 


48  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

ceiving  you;  my  tip  will  win,  Merry  Monarch,  I 
had  it  straight  from  the  Baron." 

"  Who's  the  Baron?  "  asked  Ella. 

"  A  great  admirer  of  Eve's,"  said  Alan. 

"Is  that  true?"  asked  Ella. 

"  Mr.  Chesney  states  it  as  a  fact ;  I  am  not  aware 
of  it,"  was  the  reply. 

They  went  into  the  paddock  and  inspected  some 
of  the  horses,  but  the  crush  was  so  great  they  were 
glad  to  return  to  the  box. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  great  race  there  was  a 
scene  of  unparalleled  excitement,  for  there  had  been 
much  wagering  for  some  weeks  and  several  of  the 
runners  were  heavily  backed.  Orbit  came  with 
a  rush  in  the  market  and  touched  four  to  one ;  Merry 
Monarch  was  at  eights,  a  good  price,  for  the  Baron 
was  a  popular  idol  with  the  public. 

Nothing,  however,  shook  the  position  of  Gold 
Star,  who  was  firm  as  a  rock,  and  Alan  accepted 
five  to  four  about  him  in  thousands;  somehow,  he 
was  not  inclined  to  save  on  Merry  Monarch,  was 
it  because  the  Baron  had  given  Eve  the  tip  ? 

The  parade  was  interesting;  the  new  colors  of  the 
sixteen  riders  flashed  in  the  sun,  the  horses'  coats 
shone  like  satin. 

Gunner  was  on  the  favorite,  Tommy  Colley  rode 
Orbit,  Ben  Bradley  Merry  Monarch.  He  was  a 
great  horseman,  quite  at  the  top  of  the  tree.     His 


A  FLYING  FILLY  49 

finishes  were  superb,  he  had  snatched  many  a  race 
out  of  the  fire  —  on  the  post. 

Nothing  looked  better  than  the  Baron's  horse  as 
they  went  past  on  the  way  to  the  post;  the  scarlet 
jacket  glided  along  quickly,  heading  the  others. 
Gold  Star  and  Orbit  were  much  fancied.  Curlew, 
Halton,  and  Sniper  had  friends.  Postman  was  the 
outsider,  a  two-hundred-to-one  chance;  only  a  few 
pounds  went  on  him  for  the  sake  of  the  odds. 

Thousands  of  people  watched  the  horses,  little 
dreaming  that  in  another  twelve  months  Epsom 
Downs  would  be  vacant  on  Derby  Day  and  wounded 
soldiers  the  only  occupants  of  the  stand,  turned  into 
a  hospital.  There  was,  however,  a  shadow  of  war 
over  the  land,  and  rumors  had  been  ripe  for  some 
time  that  all  was  not  well.  Nobody  on  this  wonder- 
ful day,  however,  anticipated  the  storm  would  burst 
so  soon.  There  had  been  false  alarms  before,  rum- 
blings of  thunder  from  Europe,  but  the  country 
was  lulled  with  a  sense  of  security  which  events 
completely  shattered.  Hundreds  of  men  watching 
the  Derby  were  lying  dead  on  the  battlefields  before 
twelve  months  had  passed. 

The  race  commenced,  and  after  a  roar  of 
"  They're  off !  "  the  shouting  ceased,  there  was  a 
peculiar  stillness  for  a  few  moments,  then  the  hub- 
bub broke  out  again,  gradually  increasing  as  the 
horses  came  along. 


50  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  What's  that  in  white?  "  asked  Eve. 

"  Postman,  a  two-hundred-to-one  chance,"  said 
Alan. 

The  outsider  was  lengths  in  front,  his  jockey  had 
been  instructed  to  come  right  away  and  do  the  best 
he  could.  It  was  a  forlorn  hope,  such  tactics  were 
more  likely  to  succeed  than  others  because  they 
would  not  be  anticipated. 

Gold  Star  and  Merry  Monarch  were  racing  to- 
gether in  good  positions ;  so  were  Orbit  and  Curlew ; 
while  Sniper  was  at  the  tail  end  of  the  field. 

Ella  thought  it  a  strange  uphill  and  down  course, 
very  different  from  the  flat  tracks  of  Flemington, 
Caulfield,  and  Ranwick.  She  would  not  have  been 
surprised  to  see  a  spill  at  one  of  the  bends,  and 
when  Tattenham  Corner  was  reached  she  gave  a 
gasp  as  she  saw  two  or  three  riders  dangerously 
near  the  rails.  Once  in  the  straight  the  excitement 
broke  loose,  the  strange,  wonderful  excitement 
a  race  for  the  Derby  causes  and  which  is  like  no 
other  vast  human  emotion  anywhere,  and  for  any 
cause.  The  Derby  thrill  has  a  hold  upon  people  that 
nothing  else  has,  and  is  repeated  year  after  year. 
There  are  men  who  have  seen  many  Derbies  decided 
and  for  thirty  years  or  more  in  succession  have 
experienced  the  thrill  of  the  race. 

A  Derby  transplanted  from  Epsom  is  a  mere 
ordinary  race.     It  is  the  famous  surroundings  cause 


A  FLYING  FILLY  51 

the  fascination,  and  Epsom  Downs  shares  the  fame 
of  Derby  Day. 

Gold  Star  picked  his  way  through  to  the  front, 
and  as  he  took  the  lead  there  was  a  tremendous 
shout  for  the  favorite.  It  made  Ella  start,  and 
Eve  said: 

"  Something  worth  seeing  and  hearing,  is  it 
not?" 

"  Wonderful !  "  exclaimed  Ella,  her  face  eager 
with  excitement. 

Although  Gold  Star  held  such  a  prominent  posi- 
tion his  victory  was  not  yet  assured,  for  on  the 
right,  in  the  center  of  the  course,  came  Merry 
Monarch,  and  Orbit,  with  Postman  still  struggling 
gamely.  They  reached  the  stands  amid  terrific  din, 
a  pandemonium  of  sound,  and  people  pressed  hard 
on  to  the  rails,  five  or  six  deep,  in  the  vain  hope  of 
seeing  the  tops  of  the  riders'  heads,  and  gleaning 
some  information  as  to  the  likely  winner  from  the 
color  of  their  caps. 

As  they  neared  the  judge's  box  Ben  Bradley  pre- 
pared for  his  famous  rush.  He  had  Merry  Mon- 
arch well  in  hand,  the  horse  had  not  yet  felt  the 
pressure,  that  was  to  come  suddenly,  in  a  second. 
Gold  Star  strode  up  the  rise  followed  by  Orbit,  and 
again  and  again  he  was  proclaimed  the  winner. 

But  a  race  is  never  won  until  the  winning-post 
is  passed,  and  much  may  happen  in  a  few  strides. 


52  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Tommy's  vigorous  riding  gave  his  mount  a  chance ; 
but  Bradley  pushed  Merry  Monarch  on,  and  inch  by 
inch,  yard  by  yard,  he  raced  up  to  the  favorite, 
joined  issue,  and  a  great  finish  began. 

The  tumult  was  tremendous.  Ella  was  amazed; 
she  had  seen  the  excitement  of  a  Melbourne  Cup 
but  it  was  nothing  to  this.  The  crowd  swayed  in 
masses,  the  movement  dazzled ;  it  resembled  a  flick- 
ering film  before  the  "  movies "  were  improved 
upon. 

Down  the  course  thousands  of  people,  com- 
mencing at  Tattenham  Corner  were  running  at  top 
speed,  anxious  to  discover  what  had  won.  Before 
they  knew,  the  result  was  out  in  Fleet  Street  and 
the  boys  were  careering  toward  the  City  and  the 
West  End  spreading  the  tidings. 

Bradley's  great  rush  proved  effective.  He  got  ev- 
ery ounce  out  of  his  mount  and  Merry  Monarch  beat 
Gold  Star  by  half  a  length.  The  usual  scene  fol- 
lowed as  the  winner  was  turned  round  and  came 
back  to  the  enclosure  through  a  living  lane,  the 
Baron  proudly  leading  his  horse,  raising  his  hat  in 
answer  to  the  deafening  cheers.  It  was  the  great 
moment  of  his  life,  as  it  is  to  every  man  who  has 
experienced  the  sensation  of  leading  in  a  Derby 
winner. 

Eve  was  delighted,  she  had  a  good  win.  She 
chaffed  Alan  unmercifully;  he  took  it  in  good  part. 


A  FLYING  FILLY  53 

Ella  looked  at  him  sympathetically,  she  had  lost  her 
money. 

"  I  suppose  you  were  on  the  winner  ?  "  said  Harry 
Morby. 

"  No,  I  followed  Mr.  Chesney's  advice,"  said  Ella 
ruefully. 

Eve  heard  her  and  said: 

"  It's  your  own  fault ;  I  gave  you  the  tip,  the 
Baron's  tip  —  it  was  worth  following." 

Next  day  The  Duke  won  the  Royal  Stakes  and 
Evelyn  Berkeley's  friends  had  another  good  win. 

Oaks  Day  turned  out  most  enjoyable.  The  sun 
shone  brightly,  the  ladies  were  in  force,  the  dresses 
worthy  of  the  occasion. 

Alan  had  paid  particular  attention  to  Eve  after 
the  Derby,  and  any  little  jealousy  she  might  have 
felt  regarding  Ella  was  dispelled. 

Harry  Morby  devoted  himself  to  Ella,  and  they 
appeared  to  get  on  well  together. 

The  Acorn  Stakes  brought  out  ten  runners,  a 
beautiful  lot  of  fillies,  all  trained  to  the  hour;  but 
Evelyn  stood  out  from  the  rest  as  the  gem  of  the 
lot  and  was  a  raging  hot  favorite  at  even  money. 

Eve  wore  the  Chesney  colors  and  never  looked 
better;  all  eyes  were  on  her  in  the  paddock  as  she 
moved  gracefully  about  with  Alan  and  her  friends. 
From  the  box  they  looked  down  into  the  ring  and 
heard  the  cries  of  "  Even  money  the  field." 


54  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  The  money  is  being  piled  on  your  namesake," 
said  Harry.  "She  is  splendid;  and  by  Jove,  Miss 
Berkeley,  you're  more  than  a  match  for  her! 
You're  positively  dazzling !  She  must  win  —  she 
can't  help  it.  I  saw  her  eying  you  in  the  paddock 
—  wonder  what  she  thought?" 

Eve  laughed  heartily  as  she  said : 

"  So  you  think  she  will  win.  I  hope  so. 
Evelyn's  a  good  name  for  a  winner." 

"  It  is,  you  are  always  a  winner,"  said  Harry. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  replied  Eve ;  and  he 
saw  her  glance  rested  on  Alan. 

"  He's  having  a  wonderful  week,"  said  Harry, 
following  her  glance. 

"  Splendid.  Don't  you  think  he  deserves  his 
luck?" 

"  Yes ;  he's  a  generous,  warm-hearted  fellow,  but 
in  some  things  he's  blind." 

"Indeed?     What  are  they?" 

"  I  will  not  venture  to  say ;  perhaps  you  can 
guess,"  answered  Harry,  laughing. 

Baron  Childs  entered  the  box.  He  soon  monop- 
olized Eve ;  it  was  evident  he  admired  her. 

"  Better  chance  it,"  said  Harry  to  Alan ;  "  you 
may  lose  her." 

He  laughed  as  he  said  : 

"  I  can't  compete  with  the  Baron." 


A  FLYING  FILLY  55 

When  the  tapes  went  up  Evelyn  jumped  off  in 
front,  racing  down  the  slope  at  a  great  pace. 

Fred  Skane  had  said  it  was  the  best  thing  of  the 
meeting  and  he  proved  right.  It  was  marvelous 
how  the  flying  filly  galloped ;  there  was  no  fault  in 
her  movements.  Tommy  sat  still,  letting  her  run 
her  own  race.  It  was  her  first  appearance  and  she 
showed  no  signs  of  nervousness. 

She  lead  from  start  to  finish,  winning  in  a  canter 
by  five  lengths  in  very  fast  time;  a  great  perform- 
ance, recognized  and  cheered  as  such. 

"  It  was  good  of  you,  Alan,  to  call  such  a  flyer 
Evelyn,"  said  Eve. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A   WALK   AND  A   TALK 

CARL  MEASON  was  active,  traveling  about 
the  country  in  his  motor,  waxing  enthusiastic 
over  the  scenery,  expatiating  to  Abel  Head  on  the 
beauties  of  Nottinghamshire. 

"  Never  been  on  such  roads ;  they  are  splendid. 
You  can  go  the  pace,  there's  plenty  of  room,  not  too 
much  traffic.  I  like  to  bowl  along  without  endan- 
gering lives.  I'm  a  careful  driver  and  avoid  dan- 
ger." 

At  night  he  still  worked  at  his  maps,  the  occupa- 
tion being  congenial. 

"  The  reason  I'm  a  good  surveyor,"  he  said,  "  is 
because  I  like  my  work;  a  man  never  does  well 
when  his  occupation  is  against  his  inclinations." 

Abel  listened,  making  few  remarks.  He  had  his 
opinion  about  Meason  and  his  motoring  tours. 
Letters  seldom  came  to  the  Sherwood  Inn  for 
Meason,  he  had  but  little  correspondence,  his 
instructions  were  explicit,  requiring  no  reminders. 
He  seemed  fond  of  the  country  life,  walked  in  the 
parks  when  he  had  nothing  special  on  hand.     His 

56 


A  WALK  AND  A  TALK  57 

figure  became  familiar,  but  so  far  he  had  hardly 
spoken  to  anybody. 

Once  or  twice  he  met  Jane  Thrush  and  admired 
her  good  looks,  but  was  careful  not  to  offend,  and 
had  not  spoken  to  her  although  he  wished  to  do 
so.  Jane  took  very  little  notice  of  people  she  did 
not  know,  but  she  could  not  fail  to  see  that  Carl 
went  out  of  his  way  to  meet  her.  This  amused  her. 
She  wondered  why  he  crossed  her  path.  If  he  spoke 
to  her  she  would  not  be  offended ;  in  the  country 
greetings  were  often  passed  without  an  introduc- 
tion. 

Meason  saw  her  go  into  the  old  ruins  and  won- 
dered what  she  did  there.  Once  he  waited  a  long 
time  for  her  to  come  out  and  she  did  not  appear. 

Next  time  he  was  in  that  direction  he  went  into 
the  place  and  was  surprised  to  see  a  neat,  pretty 
cottage  almost  hidden  away  in  one  corner.  He 
wondered  who  lived  there,  probably  the  girl  and 
her  parents.  He  asked  Abel  about  the  place  and 
found  the  head-keeper  and  his  daughter  occupied  it. 

"  Is  that  the  pretty  girl  I  sometimes  see  in  the 
Park  ?  "  he  asked. 

"No  doubt,"  said  Abel:  "that's  Jane  Thrush. 
She's  lived  there  with  her  father  nearly  all  her 
life." 

"  Queer  place  for  a  young  girl ;  it  must  be  lonely," 
said  Carl. 


58  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  She  doesn't  find  it  so.  She'd  rather  live  there 
than  anywhere;  and  she's  quite  safe,  nobody  would 
dare  interfere  with  her.  Tom's  a  roughish  cus- 
tomer ;  any  slight  or  insult  to  his  daughter  would  be 
resented,"  said  Abel,  looking  at  him  in  a  peculiar 
way. 

A  few  days  later  Carl  met  Jane  Thrush  going 
toward  Little  Trent.  He  bade  her  good-morning 
and  she  replied.  Her  tone  was  friendly.  He  made 
advances  which  she  did  not  resent  and  said,  in 
answer  to  his  question,  she  had  no  objection  to  his 
walking  with  her  to  the  village.  Carl  was  de- 
lighted; he  was  never  short  of  conversation,  and  he 
was  the  man  to  interest  such  a  girl.  He  spoke  with 
deference,  explaining  he  was  staying  at  the  Sher- 
wood Inn  and  found  it  lonely.  It  was  quite  a  treat 
to  have  somebody  to  talk  to,  Abel  Head  was  not  very 
loquacious. 

Jane  laughed  as  she  said : 

"  Abel  can  talk  fast  enough  sometimes ;  you  ought 
to  hear  him  and  Father,  they  are  never  at  a  loss  for 
something  to  say." 

"  I  don't  think  I  have  met  your  father,"  he  said. 

"  He's  seldom  out  in  the  daytime ;  his  duties  are 
mostly  at  night.    He's  Mr.  Chesney's  game-keeper." 

"That's  an  important  position  I  should  think; 
there  seems  to  be  plenty  of  game  in  Trent  Park." 


A  WALK  AND  A  TALK  59 


n 


There  is  when  you  know  where  to  find  it.     Do 
you  know  Mr.  Chesney?  " 

"  I  have  not  that  pleasure.  Of  course  you  know 
him?" 

"  Very  well ;  he  is  a  nice  man,  so  friendly.  He 
gave  me  Jack,"  said  Jane. 

"Who's  Jack?" 

:<  My  dog,  a  big  black  retriever ;  he's  generally 
with  me  but  I  left  him  at  home  to-day;  there  have 
been  tramps  about  lately." 

"Poachers?" 

"  Oh  no,  they  are  quite  different,  but  Father  can't 
bear  the  sight  of  such  men.  He  says  they  are  use- 
less vagabonds  and  will  steal  anything  they  can  lay 
their  hands  on." 

Carl  smiled. 

"I  wonder  if  he  thinks  I'm  one  of  that  sort?" 
he  said. 

"  He  knows  you  are  not.  Abel  told  him  you  are 
always  very  busy  making  maps,  that  you  are  a  sur- 
veyor." 

"  So  he's  talked  me  over  with  Abel?  " 
'  Yes ;  I  fancy  they  both  wonder  why  you  picked 
on  Sherwood  Inn  to  work  in." 

"  That's  easily  explained ;  because  it's  quiet,  and 
such  a  splendid  country.  I  love  the  country;  I  came 
across  it  quite  by  accident,   I  was  motoring  and 


6o  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

stopped  there  for  lunch;  it  struck  me  as  an  ideal 
place  to  work  in,"  he  said. 

"  And  when  you  are  not  at  work  you  like  to 
ramble  about  the  country." 

'  Yes,  it  is  a  pleasant  relaxation.  There  are 
many  charming  spots  about  here  I  have  not  seen, 
there  is  no  one  to  guide  me,"  he  said.  "  That  old 
ruin  where  your  cottage  is  must  have  an  interesting 
history,  and  the  keep  with  the  moat  round." 

"  It  is,  very  interesting.  I  know  a  good  deal 
about  it.  Mr.  Chesney  lent  me  a  book  which  gives 
a  very  good  description  of  it  and  what  it  used  to 
be,"  said  Jane. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  let  me  see  it?"  he  said. 

"  I  cannot  lend  it  to  you,  but  I  will  show  it  to  you 
if "  she  hesitated. 

"Will  you  allow  me  to  call  and  see  it?"  he 
asked. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  my  father  would  like  it; 
I  will  ask  him." 

"  Do,  please ;  I  shall  be  so  much  obliged.  Perhaps 
he  will  show  me  round  when  he  has  a  little  spare 
time?" 

"  Father  does  not  take  to  everybody,  but  I  think 
he  will  like  you,"  said  Jane  naively. 

Carl  Meason  felt  gratified  at  this  remark. 

"  Why  do  you  think  he  will  like  me?  "  he  asked. 


A  WALK  AND  A  TALK  61 

"  Because  you  talk  well ;  he  likes  a  chat  with  a 
well-informed  man." 

"  You  think  I  am  well  informed?  " 

"  Yes ;  you  have  traveled  in  many  countries ;  it 
must  be  interesting.  I  have  not  gone  far  from 
here,  only  Nottingham." 

"  No  farther,  never  been  to  London  ?  " 

"  Never." 

"  Would  you  like  to  go?  " 

"  Yes,  but  not  to  stay  there ;  I  do  not  care  for 
cities." 

They  were  in  Little  Trent  and  as  they  passed  the 
Sherwood  Inn  Abel  Head  saw  them. 

"  Well,  I'm  dashed!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  wonder 
what  Tom  would  say  to  that.  Confound  the  fel- 
low, he  seems  to  make  headway.  Wonder  how 
Jane  came  across  him?  " 

Carl  left  her  shortly  after  and  went  into  the  Inn. 
He  knew  Abel  had  seen  them,  saw  him  looking 
through  the  window. 

"  Nice  girl,  Jane  Thrush,"  said  Carl ;  "  a  very 
nice  girl,  and  seems  well  brought  up." 

"  She  is  a  nice  girl,"  replied  Abel ;  "  also  well 
brought  up.     How  came  you  to  know  her  ?  " 

"Quite  casually;  said  good-morning;  she  re- 
sponded. Asked  her  if  I  might  have  the  pleasure 
of  walking  to  the  village  with  her;  no  harm  done, 


62  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

I  assure  you.  What  I  like  about  this  country  is 
people  are  so  free  and  easy;  it's  far  better,  much 
pleasanter,  don't  you  think  so?  "  said  Carl. 

"  It  all  depends.  It  is  as  well  not  to  trust  stran- 
gers. I  don't  think  Tom  Thrush  would  like  his 
daughter  to  talk  to  anybody,"  said  Abel. 

"  Good  Lord,  why  not?  Why  shouldn't  she  talk 
to  me  ?  "  exclaimed  Carl. 

"Ask  him;  perhaps  he'll  tell  you,"  said  Abel. 

"  I  will.  She's  promised  to  ask  him  to  show  me 
round  when  he  has  a  bit  of  spare  time." 

"Has  she  now?  Well,  I'm  blessed!  I  wonder 
what  he'll  say  ?  " 

"  I'll  make  it  worth  his  while.  I  don't  suppose 
he'll  be  too  proud  to  accept  a  fiver,"  said  Carl. 

To  this  Abel  said  nothing.  He  knew  Tom 
Thrush's  failing  —  love  of  money.  The  game- 
keeper was  not  miserly,  but  he  dearly  loved  han- 
dling gold,  and  Abel  surmised  he  had  saved  a  "  tidy 


sum." 


As  Jane  walked  home  alone,  she  thought  what  a 
pleasant  gentleman  the  stranger  was,  and  how 
nicely  he  talked;  she  never  for  a  moment  dreamed 
there  was  any  harm  in  speaking  to  him  or  allowing 
him  to  walk  with  her  to  the  village.  Jane  Thrush 
never  knew  a  mother's  care,  at  least  not  long  enough 
to  influence  her  life,  and  her  father  left  her  very 
much  to  herself.     She  was  accustomed  to  talk  to 


A  WALK  AND  A  TALK  63 

people  she  met,  tourists,  and  visitors  to  Trent  Park 
and  the  Forest.  Intercourse  with  them  broadened 
her  views ;  she  regarded  Carl  Meason  as  one  of  them 
and  he  had  proved  agreeable. 

As  for  Carl  Meason,  he  was  eager  to  meet  her 
again;  he  had  few  scruples  where  such  girls  as 
Jane  Thrush  were  concerned,  and  he  felt  he  had 
made  a  favorable  impression  which  he  meant  to 
cultivate. 

"  She's  a  very  pretty  lass  indeed,"  he  said  to  him- 
self. "  Quite  innocent,  sees  no  harm  in  anything, 
not  even  me.  I'll  beard  her  father  in  his  cottage; 
it  won't  take  me  long  to  find  out  his  weaknesses,  I'm 
used  to  it.  I'm  glad  I  spoke  to  her;  she'll  help  to 
kill  time  in  this  infernal  slow  hole.  I  shall  be  glad 
when  things  get  a  move  on.  By  Jove,  if  the  folks 
round  here  ever  find  out  what  I  am  when  the  busi- 
ness begins  in  earnest,  there'll  be  ructions.  I  shall 
have  to  clear  out  quick.  There's  a  lot  of  risk  in 
what  I'm  doing  but  the  pay's  good  and  it  will  be  a 
lot  better  later  on.  What  fools  they  are  in  Eng- 
land !     Can't  see  danger,  never  suspect  anybody." 

Jane  spoke  to  her  father  about  meeting  Carl 
Meason.  He  did  not  consider  it  anything  out  of 
the  way  for  his  daughter  to  walk  to  the  village 
with  him ;  he  knew  she  was  often  asked  questions 
about  the  neighborhood  by  strangers ;  sometimes  he 
showed  them  round  when  they  made  it  worth  his 


64  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

while;  he  was  always  eager  to  add  a  few  pounds  to 
his  store.  He  had  every  confidence  in  Jane;  she 
was  self-reliant,  not  a  "  silly  wench  "  whose  head 
was  likely  to  be  turned  by  compliments. 

"  What  sort  of  man  is  he  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Abel 
don't  seem  to  think  much  of  him  anyhow." 

"  You'll  like  his  company ;  he  talks  well,  and 
knows  a  lot.  Abel's  not  accustomed  to  a  man  like 
this,"  said  Jane. 

"  It  puzzles  me  what  he  is  doing  at  a  place  like 
Little  Trent,"  said  her  father. 

"  He  told  me  he  came  across  the  Sherwood  Inn 
when  he  was  motoring  and  thought  it  just  the  place 
for  him  to  work  quietly  in,"  she  said. 

"  A  surveyor,  Abel  says ;  not  much  he  don't  find 
out,"  said  Tom. 

"  There's  company  at  The  Forest,"  said  Jane. 
"  A  beautiful  lady,  almost  a  match  for  Miss 
Berkeley." 

"  Never  a  match  for  her,  there  couldn't  be ;  she's 
the  most  beautiful  woman  of  her  time,  and  also  a 
good  'un;  I  often  think  Mr.  Chesney  is  a  fool  not 
to  marry  her,"  said  Tom. 

"Perhaps  she'll  not  have  him,  Father;  he  may 
have  asked  her,"  answered  Jane. 

"  I  saw  him  to-day,"  said  Tom. 

"Mr.  Chesney?" 

"  Yes ;  he  gave  me  a  present,  and  there's  one  for 


A  WALK  AND  A  TALK  65 

you,  Jane.  Here  it  is ;  he  never  forgets  folks  when 
he  has  a  win,"  said  Tom,  handing  her  a  small  par- 
cel. 

Jane  opened  it  eagerly,  then  gave  a  gasp  and  an 
exclamation  of  delighted  surprise. 

"  Isn't  it  beautiful,  Father !  How  good  of  him !  " 
And  she  showed  him  a  small  horseshoe  brooch  set 
with  rubies;  it  was  an  exquisite  piece  of  jewelry. 

"  Must  have  cost  a  tidy  bit,"  said  Tom,  as  he 
handled  it  tenderly. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
fraser's  information 

DUNCAN  FRASER  sat  in  his  private  room  at 
the  brewery  in  deep  thought;  no  one  inter- 
rupted him:  he  gave  orders  and  they  were  never 
disobeyed.  A  stern-looking  man,  not  given  to  mak- 
ing many  friends,  yet  there  was  a  kindly  heart  be- 
neath a  severe  exterior.  The  manager  of  a  great 
concern,  he  was  admirably  suited  to  the  position, 
accustomed  to  handle  and  make  decisions  promptly, 
no  shilly-shallying  or  "  wait  and  see "  about  his 
actions.  Very  few  people  were  aware  he  possessed 
unique  opportunities  of  getting  behind  the  scenes, 
learning  government  moves,  acquiring  knowledge 
beforehand  which  was  advantageous  in  his  dealings. 
Information  had  recently  come  to  him  from  a 
valued  and  trusted  correspondent  in  Germany,  and 
he  was  considering  how  best  to  use  it  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  firm.  The  heavy  taxes  on  the  brewers 
hit  Chesney's  hard,  but  they  were  able  to  stand  them 
better  than  most  firms ;  still  he  knew  there  must  be 
a  considerable  diminution  in  dividends,  consequently 

in  Alan  Chesney's  income. 

66 


FRASER'S  INFORMATION  67 

It  irritated  him  when  he  thought  how  careless 
the  head  of  the  firm  was  in  money  matters.  Alan 
appeared  to  regard  the  brewery  as  a  huge  concern 
from  which  he  could  drain  money  as  freely  as  beer 
ran  into  the  casks.  He  made  up  his  mind  to  talk 
seriously  to  Alan ;  he  had  a  high  opinion  of  his  judg- 
ment and  intelligence  when  he  cared  to  exert  those 
qualities.  He  expected  him  to  arrive  in  half  an 
hour  and  knew  what  to  expect.  Alan  would  rush 
up  in  his  motor,  say  he  had  only  a  few  minutes 
to  spare,  then  dash  off  again  as  he  arrived  —  in  a 
hurry. 

The  head  of  the  firm  was  always  in  a  hurry; 
never  seemed  to  have  a  minute  to  spare ;  the  "  racing 
rush "  took  hold  of  him.  Duncan  Fraser  smiled 
grimly  as  he  thought  how  Alan  careered  about  the 
country  in  pursuit  of  his  favorite  pastime. 

"  Here  he  is,"  said  Duncan,  as  he  heard  the 
powerful  motor  stop,  and  thud. 

Alan  came  into  the  room  in  a  hurry.  He  was 
not  in  the  best  of  humors;  why  the  deuce  couldn't 
Fraser  manage  without  dragging  him  there?  He 
had  carte  blanche  as  to  how  he  should  act. 

"  Suppose  you'll  not  keep  me  long,"  said  Alan 
impatiently. 

"  Longer  than  usual,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Hang  it  all,  I  want  to  go  to  the  races  this  after- 
noon.    You  must  cut  it  short,  please,  Fraser." 


68  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  This  is  more  important  than  racing;  I  have  just 
received  some  valuable  information  from  Berlin." 

Alan  became  interested. 

"  Berlin !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  What's  up  there  ?  " 

"  War;  it  will  break  out  before  long." 

"  Who  is  your  informant?  " 

Fraser  handed  him  the  letter. 

"  Read  that,"  he  said. 

Alan  did  so. 

"  By  Jove !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  This  looks  serious. 
Can  you  rely  upon  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Fraser,  with  a  characteristic  snap  of 
his  firm  lips. 

Alan  put  the  letter  down  and  a  gloomy  look  settled 
on  his  face. 

"  War,"  he  said,  "  and  I'll  be  out  of  it,  confound 
the  thing!     I'm  sorry  I  don't  hold  a  commission." 

"  I  am  not.  You  can't  be  in  the  army  and  look 
after  things  here,"  said  Fraser. 

"  You  look  after  them.  It's  no  use  trying  to  con- 
vince me  I'm  necessary  to  the  existence  of  the  firm, 
because  I'm  not;  I  haven't  the  governor's  capacity 
for  business,"  said  Alan. 

"  I  don't  know  so  much  about  that ;  you've  never 
been  properly  tested." 

Alan  laughed. 

"  And  have  no  desire  to  be,"  he  said. 

"  I  have  drawn  up  some  figures ;  they  are  formid- 


FRASER'S  INFORMATION  69 

able.  If  you  agree  to  my  plans,  and  war  breaks  out, 
we  shall  save  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pounds.  It 
means  a  tremendous  outlay,  but  it's  worth  it;  just 
go  into  this,  I'll  be  back  in  half  an  hour,"  said 
Fraser,  as  he  placed  some  long  sheets  on  the  table. 

"  I'm  no  hand  at  figures,"  said  Alan. 

"  You'll  see  the  force  of  these  in  five  minutes," 
said  Fraser. 

"  Then  why  give  me  half  an  hour?  " 

"  Because  I  want  you  to  thoroughly  master  them ; 
I  can't  undertake  the  responsibility  alone." 

"  Would  you  undertake  it  if  you  owned  the 
brewery?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  That's  enough  for  me,  but  I'll  go  into  them  to 
satisfy  you." 

"  And  yourself,  you'll  be  more  than  satisfied," 
said  Fraser  as  he  left  the  room. 

Alan  became  interested  in  the  figures,  which 
related  to  the  buying  of  barley,  hops,  and  a  variety 
of  brewing  necessaries. 

"What  a  grasp  of  figures  he  has!"  muttered 
Alan.  "  Convincing  too ;  I  can  see  it  plain  enough. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  saved;  he's  right  —  if 
there's  war." 

That  was  the  main  point  —  war ;  and  all  depended 
on  the  information  Duncan  Fraser  had  received 
from   his  correspondent  in   Berlin.     He   was   still 


7o  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

studying  the  papers,  making  pencil  notes,  when 
Fraser  entered  the  room.  The  manager  smiled  as 
he  saw  him. 

"  You're  a  wonderful  man,"  said  Alan,  looking 
up. 

Fraser  shook  his  head. 

"  You're  wrong;  there's  nothing  wonderful  about 
me.  I'm  a  fair  business  man,  I  look  ahead,  and  I 
know  my  own  mind  once  I  see  things  clearly.  How 
does  it  work  out?  "  he  asked. 

"  It's  splendid,  the  outlay  is  enormous,  it  will  be 
perfectly  justified  if  war  breaks  out;  everything  will 
rise  rapidly,  and  there'll  be  a  tremendous  taxation," 
said  Alan. 

"  What  would  you  advise  ?  "  asked  Fraser. 

"  Risk  it  and  buy  as  you  suggest,"  said  Alan. 

"  There  is  no  risk  if  you  allude  to  war;  it's  bound 
to  come.  Do  you  know  there  are  thousands  of 
German  spies  in  this  country?  There  are  two  or 
three  here  in  the  firm,  and  they've  got  to  go,"  said 
Fraser. 

Alan  laughed. 

"You'll  make  a  clean  sweep  of  them?"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  and  no  delay  about  it.     There's "  and 

he  mentioned  the  names.  "  Are  you  of  my  opin- 
ion? 

"  Yes ;  you  must  give  them  some  reason,  they 
work  well." 


FRASER'S  INFORMATION  71 

"  They  all  do,  but  it's  in  their  interests  —  I  mean 
the  interests  of  their  country.  They  worm  out  se- 
crets, they  are  utterly  unscrupulous,  nothing  is  safe 
from  them,"  said  Fraser. 

"  Then  out  with  them.  I  say,  Fraser,  you  get 
hold  of  some  remarkable  information;  how  do  you 
manage  it?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  I  pick  my  friends ;  I  am  careful.  What  do  you 
think  that  letter  from  Berlin  is  worth  ? "  asked 
Fraser. 

"  A  good  round  sum." 

"A  thousand?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  he  shall  have  it." 

"You  think  it  is  worth  that?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Then  we  can't  be  far  out  in  giving  it,"  said 
Alan. 

"  You  think  I  am  too  careful?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  It  would  be  better  if  you  were,"  was  the  answer. 

Alan  moved  impatiently  in  his  chair. 

"  I  don't  consider  I  spend  too  much." 

Duncan  Fraser  looked  at  him  with  a  kindly  light 
in  his  somewhat  hard  eyes. 

"  This  is  a  great  business,"  he  said  slowly,  "  or  it 
would  never  stand  the  strain.  Take  my  advice  and 
cut  down  expenses;  we're  in  for  lean  years." 


72  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Alan  laughed  as  he  replied: 

"  What  an  old  croaker  yon  are !  " 

He  got  up,  put  on  his  motor  coat  and  held  out 
his  hand. 

"  I  am  glad  you  sent  for  me,''  he  said.  "  I  shall 
just  have  time  to  get  to  the  course  before  the  first 
race." 

"  Would  it  matter  if  you  missed  it?  "  said  Fraser 
quietly. 

"  No  actual  damage  would  be  done  if  I  did  miss 
it.  Still,  I'd  rather  be  there;  I  promised  to  meet 
some  friends." 

"  Then  I  conclude  you  agree  with  me  and  will 
buy?" 

"  Certainly;  it  will  be  a  great  stroke  of  business. 
I  wonder  if  others  are  thinking  of  the  same  thing?  ' 

"  They  do  not  know  as  much  as  we  —  yet," 
replied  Fraser. 

"  Will  you  join  me  at  Trent  Park  for  the  week- 
end?" said  Alan.     "There  will  be  no  visitors." 

"  With  pleasure,"  replied  Fraser.  "  I  always 
enjoy  a  few  days  at  your  lovely  place." 

On  Friday  Duncan  went  to  Trent  Park.  Alan 
welcomed  him  cordially,  although  he  had  half  re- 
pented asking  him :  the  manager's  presence  always 
seemed  to  subdue  everything,  even  Alan's  exuberant 
spirits.  This  feeling,  however,  quickly  vanished  on 
the  present  occasion,  for  Duncan  Fraser  was  in  an 


FRASER'S  INFORMATION  73 

unusually  cheerful  mood  and  for  once  in  a  way  left 
business  behind  him. 

Alan  had  to  meet  a  prospective  buyer  at  the  Stud, 
and  as  Duncan  knew  nothing,  and  cared  less,  about 
horses  he  preferred  to  go  for  a  stroll  in  the  Park. 
During  his  walk  he  met  Eve  Berkeley  and  her 
friend,  Ella  Hallam.  The  manager  saw  little  of 
ladies'  society,  but  he  knew  Eve  and  liked  her;  he 
could  hardly  fail  to  be  attracted  by  her. 

He  went  to  The  Forest  with  them  and  remained 
for  lunch.  He  knew  Alan  would  not  miss  him, 
probably  surmise  where  he  was.  He  rather  liked 
Ella,  she  was  unaffected  and  talked  freely  on  many 
subjects;  when  he  left  she  told  Eve  she  thought  him 
a  very  agreeable  man. 

Eve  laughed  as  she  replied : 

"  He  is  a  very  sensible  man.  It  is  lucky  for  Alan 
he  has  him  in  charge  at  Chesney's,  or  I'm  afraid  the 
business  would  be  sadly  neglected." 

"  Is  Mr.  Chesney  not  a  good  business  man  ?  '; 
asked  Ella. 

"  Not  according  to  Mr.  Fraser." 

Ella  was  rather  disappointed  she  had  not  met  Alan 
Chesney  since  her  stay  at  The  Forest.  She  won- 
dered why  he  did  not  call;  Eve  told  her  he  often 
came. 

Duncan  Fraser  explained  where  he  had  been  and 
pronounced  in  favor  of  Ella  Hallam. 


74  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"By  Jove!  I  forgot  all  about  her  being  at. The 
Forest,"  said  Alan.  "  I  met  her  in  Derby  week, 
a  jolly  girl;  I  daresay  she  improves  on  acquaint- 
ance." 

"  She  evidently  did  not  make  much  of  an  impres- 
sion on  you,"  said  Duncan  smiling. 

"  I  wonder  how  long  she  will  stay?  "  said  Alan, 
half  to  himself. 

"  I  think  she  said  she  was  going  to  London  to 
meet  her  father." 

"  He's  bringing  one  or  two  horses  from  Aus- 
tralia; he  has  a  great  opinion  of  them;  I  must  try 
and  convince  him  ours  are  better." 

"  Strange  how  some  men  are  so  fascinated  by 
horses,"  said  Fraser. 

"  You  care  nothing  about  them?  "  said  Alan,  with 
a  tinge  of  contempt  in  his  voice. 

"  No,  they  have  never  interested  me ;  perhaps  it 
is  because  I  never  had  any  spare  time  for  them ;  I've 
been  a  worker  all  my  life." 

"  You  despise  racing  men  ?  " 

"  Oh  no ;  I  think  some  of  them  are  uncommonly 
sharp,"  said  Duncan. 

"  They  are  too  sharp  sometimes,"  laughed  Alan. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    MAN    UNDER   THE    LAMP 

SORRY  I  have  not  called  before,"  said  Alan,  as 
he  shook  hands  with  Ella  Hallam,  "  but  by  way 
of  a  change  I  have  been  busy." 

"  I  thought  you  were  always  busy,"  she  replied. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  am  afraid  I  neglect  my 
duties  sometimes,  but  then  I  have  such  an  excellent 
manager." 

"Mr.  Fraser?"' 

"  Yes.  You  have  met  him ;  what  do  you  think  of 
him?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  I  like  him.  He  struck  me  as  a  man  of  strong 
character,"  she  answered. 

"  He  is.  He  has  a  wonderful  grasp  of  every- 
thing connected  with  the  firm,"  said  Alan. 

Eve  entered  the  room.     She  said : 

"  I  thought  you  had  forgotten  I  lived  at  The 
Forest." 

Alan  laughed. 

"  I'm  not  likely  to  forget  that,"  he  said. 

75 


76  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  My  father  arrives  next  week,"  said  Ella.  "  I 
have  written  to  him;  he  will  get  the  letter  at  Naples. 
I  told  him  you  were  anxious  to  test  the  merits  of 
his  horses." 

"  He  is  coming  here,"  said  Eve.  "  I  thought  it 
would  be  nice  for  Ella  to  welcome  him  at  The 
Forest." 

"  And  I  shall  be  delighted  to  show  him  round ; 
he  will  be  interested  in  my  stud,"  said  Alan. 

'  I  hear  it  is  one  of  the  best  in  England,"  said 
Ella. 

"  I  think  it  compares  favorably  with  most  of 
them,"  he  answered. 

He  remained  about  an  hour,  declined  to  stay  for 
lunch,  and  Eve  did  not  press  him. 

He  motored  to  the  stud  and  found  Sam  Kerridge, 
his  stud  groom,  waiting  for  him.  Sam  had  been 
at  the  stud  since  its  foundation.  He  was  a  clever 
man  with  horses,  an  excellent  judge,  and  a  shrewd 
buyer. 

"  That  American  has  been  here  again,"  he  said. 
"  He's  dead  set  on  buying  Mameluke ;  I  have  tried 
to  convince  him  he's  not  for  sale." 

"  So  have  I,"  said  Alan  with  a  laugh.  "  Per- 
haps he  thinks  you  can  persuade  me  to  part  with 
him:  Valentine  Braund  is  a  persevering  man." 

"  Like  most  Americans,  he  has  plenty  of  cheek, 
said  Sam.     "  It's  a  big  offer  he  has  made." 


" 


THE  MAN  UNDER  THE  LAMP      77 

"  Thirty  thousand,  and  Mameluke's  not  a  young 
horse,"  said  Alan. 

"  It's  tempting,"  said  Sam. 

"  I  have  half  a  mind  to  take  it,"  said  Alan. 
"There's  Alfonso  coming  on;  he  ought  to  make  a 
name  for  himself." 

"  He  will.  I  think  he'll  beat  Mameluke's  record," 
said  Sam. 

"  That  will  be  difficult.  What  did  you  say  to 
Braund?" 

"  Not  much ;  he  didn't  seem  to  believe  me  when  I 
said  money  would  not  buy  him." 

"  I'll  think  it  over;  it's  a  big  price,"  said  Alan. 

He  went  round  the  stud  with  Sam  and  as  usual 
found  everything  in  order.  Mameluke  was  a  splen- 
did dark  bay  horse,  Alfonso  a  bright  chestnut;  there 
was  little  to  choose  between  them  in  point  of  ap- 
pearance. Alan  was  very  fond  of  Mameluke ;  the 
horse  had  done  good  service  at  the  stud,  sired  many 
big  winners,  and  he  was  reluctant  to  part  with  him. 
Alfonso  was  worthy  to  take  his  place  as  the  leading 
sire.  He  was  a  much  younger  horse  and  his  stock 
already  showed  great  promise. 

The  mares  were  a  splendid  lot;  the  best  blood  in 
the  world  coursed  through  their  veins,  and  Alan 
never  spared  expense  when  he  wished  to  purchase. 
When  he  left,  Sam  Kerridge  wondered  what  had 
induced  him  to  change  his  mind. 


78  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  He's  inclined  to  consider  the  American's  offer," 
he  thought.  "  It's  a  tall  price,  and  I  don't  think 
Mameluke,  at  his  age,  is  worth  any  more.  I  shan't 
be  surprised  if  the  deal  comes  off." 

The  reason  Alan  was  inclined  to  consider  Valen- 
tine Braund's  offer  for  Mameluke  favorably  was 
because  of  the  information  he  had  received  from 
Duncan  Fraser's  Berlin  correspondent.  He  knew 
if  there  was  war  it  would  make  a  vast  difference  to 
racing,  and  that  the  price  of  thoroughbreds  would 
be  considerably  lowered.  Thirty  thousand  is  not  a 
sum  to  be  ignored,  even  by  a  very  rich  man,  and 
Alan  knew  Mameluke  had  seen  his  best  days.  He 
did  not  care  to  part  with  an  old  favorite,  but  it  was 
folly  to  refuse  such  an  offer  when  prospects,  on 
looking  ahead,  were  not  favorable  to  breeders.  He 
decided  to  write  to  Braund  and  ask  if  he  were  still 
inclined  to  make  his  offer  for  the  horse.  He  did 
so,  and  had  not  long  to  wait  for  a  reply. 

Valentine  Braund  came  to  Trent  Park  next  day 
and  said  he  was  ready  to  pay  the  money  and  take 
Mameluke  over  when  he  had  made  arrangements 
to  ship  him  to  New  York.  The  bargain  was  con- 
cluded and,  under  the  circumstances,  Alan  thought 
he  could  do  no  better  than  invite  the  purchaser  to 
stay  a  few  days  with  him.  This  Braund  readily 
agreed  to,  and  Alan  found  him  a  pleasant  com- 
panion. 


THE  MAN  UNDER  THE  LAMP     79 

Valentine  Braund  was  the  head  of  an  American 
steel  trust,  and  a  man  of  many  millions.  Thirty 
thousand  pounds  for  a  horse,  or  for  anything  he 
wanted,  mattered  little  to  him.  A  self-made  man, 
he  had  worked  up  from  a  humble  position  until  he 
piled  up  wealth  beyond  his  most  sanguine  dreams. 
His  energies  were  unbounded,  he  possessed  a  never- 
ending  flow  of  animal  spirits,  his  confidence  in  him- 
self was  immense,  he  talked  and  expressed  his  opin- 
ions freely. 

Alan  could  not  help  liking  the  man  although  his 
manners  were  hardly  to  his  taste.  Braund  did  not 
brag,  but  it  was  easy  to  see  that  he  considered  money 
a  passport  to  any  society.  He  was  good-looking 
although  his  features  were  somewhat  coarse,  and 
his  abrupt  manner  of  speaking  might  have  offended 
some  fastidious  people. 

Eve  Berkeley  heard  the  American  was  at  Trent 
Park;  Alan  had  already  described  him  to  her,  also 
told  her  of  his  offer  for  Mameluke.  She  was  inter- 
ested, thought  she  would  like  to  meet  him.  She 
invited  Alan  to  bring  him  to  The  Forest.  He  men- 
tioned it  to  Braund,  who  was  eager  to  accept,  and 
accordingly  they  went. 

Valentine  thought  American  women  "  licked  crea- 
tion," and  said  so  most  emphatically,  but  when  he 
saw  Eve  Berkeley  he  was  astonished  at  her  beauty, 
and  acknowledged  to  himself  that  he  had  never  seen 


8o  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

a  woman  to  beat  her,  "  not  even  in  New  York." 
Alan  was  amused  at  his  open  admiration  of  Eve ;  he 
laughed  when  Braund  said : 

'  What  a  woman,  splendid !  She's  a  tip-top 
beauty;  she'd  create  a  sensation  in  New  York." 

"  I  thought  you'd  like  her,"  said  Alan. 

"  Like  her !  Good  heavens,  she's  past  liking, 
miles  beyond  it;  she's  adorable." 

"  And  her  friend,  Miss  Hallam?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  A  beauty,  but  not  the  equal  of  Miss  Berkeley, 
not  by  a  long  way,"  said  Braund. 

This  conversation  took  place  before  dinner  when 
they  were  alone  for  a  few  minutes. 

"  I  thought  American  women  '  licked  creation,'  " 
said  Alan,  imitating  him. 

"  Now  there  you  have  me.  As  a  rule  they  do, 
but  Miss  Berkeley  —  she's  superb,"  said  Braund 
enthusiastically. 

The  dinner  was  a  success;  they  were  lively. 
Braund  devoted  himself  to  Eve,  and  Alan  was  occu- 
pied with  Ella. 

"  I've  bought  Mr.  Chesney's  horse  Mameluke," 
said  Braund.  "  I  gave  him  thirty  thousand  for  him 
and  I  don't  consider  him  dear.  What  do  you  think 
of  the  horse?  " 

"  He's  one  of  the  best  we  have,  and  I  am  sur- 
prised Mr.  Chesney  has  parted  with  him,"  said 
Eve. 


THE  MAN  UNDER  THE  LAMP      81 

"  So  am  I,  but  then  money  is  money  and  it  was 
cash  down,"  said  Braund. 

"  Mr.  Chesney  has  plenty  of  money  —  I  wonder 
why  he  sold  him?  "  said  Eve. 

"  You  don't  think  there's  anything  wrong  with 
the  horse?  "  asked  Braund  sharply. 

"  Oh  no,"  laughed  Eve ;  "  don't  be  alarmed.  Mr. 
Chesney  would  not  have  sold  him  to  you  had  such 
been  the  case." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not ;  but  I've  known  men  who 
would,"  said  Braund. 

"  In  America  ?  "  asked  Eve,  with  a  merry  twinkle 
in  her  eyes. 

"  Yes ;  there's  some  pretty  cute  hands  at  a  bargain 
in  my  country." 

"  But  it  would  be  dishonest,"  protested  Eve. 

"  We  don't  call  it  that,"  said  Braund. 

"  Then  what  do  you  call  it  ?  "  she  asked. 

'  It  would  be  regarded  as  a  cute  bit  of  business. 
A  man  is  supposed  to  look  after  his  interests ;  if  an- 
other man  gets  the  better  of  him,  it's  all  in  the  game. 
We  admire  the  man  who  gets  the  better  of  another 
man,"  said  Braund. 

Eve  laughed  as  she  said : 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  not  my  way  of  looking  at 
things." 

"No,  of  course  not;  how  could  it  be?"  said 
Braund  quickly. 


82  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Eve  was  amused  at  him.  He  had  an  unending 
flow  of  conversation,  his  remarks  were  original,  he 
expressed  opinions  freely  in  a  way  she  was  not 
accustomed  to  hear.  On  the  whole  he  created,  if 
not  an  altogether  favorable  impression,  at  least  a 
curiosity  to  know  more  of  him. 

It  was  a  pleasant  evening,  and  as  they  motored 
back  to  Trent  Park  the  American  expressed  his 
entire  approval  of  the  visit. 

"  Two  very  sensible  women,"  he  said ;  "  also  very 
charming.  You're  lucky  to  live  here;  I  suppose  you 
see  a  good  deal  of  them  ?  " 

Alan  said  he  did,  and  changed  the  subject.  He 
was  not  inclined  to  discuss  Eve  Berkeley  with  him. 

"  We'll  go  through  the  village,"  said  Alan.  "  It 
won't  be  dark  for  a  long  time,  in  fact  it's  light 
almost  all  night  now." 

He  drove  slowly  through  Little  Trent.  Abel 
Head  was  about  to  close  the  Sherwood  Inn;  Carl 
Meason  stood  near  him,  full  in  the  light  of  the 
lamp,  which  Abel  always  lit,  whether  required  or 
not,  at  the  same  hour. 

"  Quaint  inns  and  places  you  have  in  this  coun- 
try," said  Braund,  as  he  noticed  the  sign. 

Abel  recognized  Alan  and  touched  his  cap.  Carl 
Meason  stared  at  them.  As  his  glance  rested  on 
the  American  he  gave  a  slight  start  of  surprise. 

"  Who  is  that  with  Mr.  Chesney?  "  he  asked. 


THE  MAN  UNDER  THE  LAMP      83 

"  Don't  know  for  sure ;  fancy  a  gentleman  down 
here  after  buying  one  of  the  horses.  I  heard  it  was 
likely  Mameluke  would  be  sold;  it's  a  pity,  he's  a 
great  horse,"  said  Abel. 

Carl  gave  what  sounded  like  a  sigh  of  relief. 

:'  Doesn't  happen  to  come  from  America,  does 
he?  "  he  asked  carelessly. 

"  Not  that  I'm  aware  of,"  said  Abel. 

Valentine  Braund  caught  sight  of  Carl  Meason's 
face  in  the  light;  he  turned  quickly  to  look  again 
as  the  motor  went  past. 

"  Funny,"  he  said.  "  Fancied  I'd  seen  that  fel- 
low before." 

"  Which  fellow?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  The  man  under  the  lamp.  I'm  almost  sure  of 
it,  but  it  can't  be  possible  in  this  quiet  place,"  said 
Braund. 

"  His  name  is  Carl  Meason,  a  surveyor  I  believe ; 
he's  studying  maps,  planning  road  improvements, 
and  he  wants  to  be  quiet,"  said  Alan. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  house  and  were  seated 
for  a  quiet  smoke  Braund  said  quickly: 

"I  can't  get  that  fellow  out  of  my  head  —  it's 
strange." 

"  How  strange?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  He  reminds  me  of  a  man  I  had  dealings  with  in 
America,"  said  Braund  half  to  himself. 

"  What  sort  of  dealings?  "  questioned  Alan. 


84  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"It's  impossible  of  course;  what  would  he  be 
doing  here?  He  reminds  me  of  a  man  who  once 
caused  a  lot  of  bloodshed  at  our  steel  works  —  a 
strike  leader,  if  not  worse,"  said  Braund. 

Alan  smiled  as  he  replied : 

"  Such  a  man  would  not  be  likely  to  remain  at  the 
Sherwood  Inn,  Little  Trent,  for  many  wreeks. 
He'd  find  it  too  slow  for  him." 

"  That's  just  it,  he  would;  but  I'd  like  to  see  him 
again  just  out  of  curiosity,"  said  Braund. 


CHAPTER  X 

CARL    MAKES    LOVE 

I'M  going  away  for  a  few  days.     You'll  keep  my 
room;   I'll  be  back  at  the  end  of  the  week," 
said  Meason. 

"  I'll  keep  your  room,"  said  Abel,  wishing  he  was 
leaving  altogether. 

Carl  Meason  left  in  his  motor  car.  He  took  the 
road  to  Nottingham,  which  skirted  Trent  Park,  and 
ran  past  the  old  monastery;  he  slowed  down  as  he 
neared  the  ruin  and  hooted. 

Jane  heard  it  and  came  out;  there  wras  a  small 
door  opening  on  to  the  road. 

"  Thought  you'd  know  who  it  was,"  he  said  smil- 
ing. "  I'm  off  for  a  few  days'  tour,  but  I'll  be  back 
at  the  end  of  the  week.  Tell  your  father  I  shall  be 
glad  if  he'll  show  me  round  on  my  return." 

"  Going  away?  "  said  Jane,  rather  surprised. 

'  Not    for    good.     Should    you    be    sorry    if    I 
were?  " 

"Yes." 

"  I'm  glad.  We  seem  to  be  on  good  terms,"  he 
answered. 

8s 


86  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"Why  shouldn't  we?" 

"  No  reason  at  all ;  on  the  contrary,  I  like  you.  I 
hope  you  like  me?  " 

"I  do  —  that  is,  I  think  I  do,"  said  Jane. 

"Not  quite  sure,  eh?"  he  asked,  still  smiling. 

She  shook  her  head.  She  looked  very  charming 
in  her  homely  dress,  her  cheeks  glowing  with  health. 
She  was  not  at  all  abashed;  the  self-confidence  of 
innocence,  purity  of  mind,  protected  her.  At  this 
moment  Carl  Meason  was  really  in  love  with  her; 
he  wanted  her  badly.  It  flashed  across  his  mind 
that  he  might  do  worse  than  marry  her;  she  would 
make  an  excellent  wife,  and  not  ask  too  many  ques- 
tions. His  look  puzzled  her;  it  meant  something 
she  did  not  understand.     She  lowered  her  eyes. 

"  Jane,"  he  said  softly,  "  you  are  a  wonderful 
girl;  I  believe  I  am  desperately  in  love  with  you." 

So  it  was  this  caused  him  to  look  at  her  strangely ; 
she  understood  now.  She  never  doubted  what  he 
said ;  she  raised  her  eyes,  they  met  his. 

"Love  me?"  she  said  quietly.  "Why  should 
you  love  me?  " 

"  Because  you  are  adorable,  lovely,  the  best  little 
woman  in  the  world,"  he  said. 

She  laughed  merrily  as  she  replied : 

"  Oh  no,  I'm  not.     Father  says  I  have  a  temper." 

"  That's  not  true;  you  have  a  very  lovable  dispo- 
sition." 


CARL  MAKES  LOVE  87 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  have.  I  love  lots  of  things;  still 
that  does  not  prevent  one  from  having  a  bad  tem- 
per." 

"Jane?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Step  on  the  car;  let  me  have  just  one  kiss,"  he 
spoke  pleadingly. 

"  No,  it  would  not  be  right ;  we  are  strangers." 

"  I  hope  not.  I  feel  as  though  I  were  parting 
from  an  old  and  valued  friend." 

"  I'll  shake  hands  with  you,"  she  said. 

He  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  car  and  took 
her  hand;  he  drew  her  toward  him;  she  slipped 
away. 

"  Not  yet,"  she  said.  "  Someday,  perhaps,  when 
I  know  who  and  what  you' are." 

"  And  if  I  prove  desirable  in  every  way,  what 
then?  "  he  asked  eagerly. 

"Who  knows?  You  say  you  almost  think  you 
love  me ;  perhaps,  only  perhaps,  I  may  come  to  love 
you,"  she  said. 

He  thought  it  not  advisable  to  press  her  farther; 
he  had  made  good  headway,  she  was  prepossessed 
in  his  favor,  that  was  evident  from  her  manner. 
He  shook  her  hand  again,  then  started  the  car;  as 
he  went  round  a  bend  in  the  road  he  turned  and 
waved  to  her;  she  responded,  then  went  inside  and 
shut  the  gate.     She  sat  down  on  a  seat  in  the  gar- 


88  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

den;  the  smile  on  her  face  betokened  pleasant 
thoughts. 

Carl  Meason  stopped  the  car  at  a  well-known 
hotel  facing  the  Market  Place;  he  had  been  there 
before.  From  the  orders  he  gave  it  appeared  he  had 
no  intention  of  going  on  that  day  at  any  rate.  He 
took  his  dispatch  box  to  his  room;  he  always  car- 
ried it,  never  trusted  it  to  anybody. 

"  You  can  bring  my  bag  to  my  room  at  once,"  he 
said  as  he  passed  through  the  hall  and  went  upstairs. 
When  the  hall  porter  put  it  down  he  was  about  to 
unstrap  it. 

"  Never  mind  that;  I'll  do  it,"  said  Carl,  handing 
him  a  tip. 

He  locked  the  door  and  opened  his  case,  taking 
out  some  letters  and  several  newspaper  cuttings, 
which  he  proceeded  to  read  carefully. 

"  It's  Valentine  Braund  right  enough,"  he  mut- 
tered. "  What  the  deuce  brings  him  to  Trent  Park  ? 
Buying  a  horse,  that's  one  reason.  Wonder  if  he 
heard  I  was  at  Little  Trent?  Don't  see  how  he 
could  as  I'm  not  sailing  under  my  own  name.  Bet- 
ter perhaps  if  I'd  not  given  Carl,  but  it's  far  enough 
from  Karl  Shultz  to  be  safe.  He'd  like  to  have 
me  laid  by  the  heels,  but  he  has  no  evidence  to  go 
upon.  I  got  out  of  that  mess  well.  It  was  a  blow 
up  and  no  mistake;  nearly  a  hundred  killed,  and 
double  the  number  injured.     It  had  to  be  done;  it 


CARL  MAKES  LOVE  89 

frightened  him  and  a  lot  more;  there's  several  men 
hate  me  like  poison  over  that  job.  They  suffered 
while  I  got  off  free  and  had  most  of  the  money. 
Wonder  if  he  recognized  me?  Don't  think  so;  he'd 
never  expect  to  come  across  me  in  such  a  place. 
Much  better  go  away  until  the  coast's  clear.  He'll 
not  stay  at  Trent  Park  long." 

He  placed  the  letters  and  papers  in  his  bag  again. 
More  than  once  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  destroy 
them,  but  something  stayed  his  hand ;  they  were  dan- 
gerous if  discovered  but  this  was  not  likely  to 
happen. 

His  thoughts  turned  to  a  more  pleasant  subject  — 
Jane  Thrush.  Utterly  unscrupulous  though  he 
was,  even  Carl  Meason,  as  he  chose  to  style  himself, 
had  some  hesitation  in  plotting  her  downfall.  She 
fascinated  him.  The  women  who  had  come  into 
his  life  were  totally  different  from  her;  there  wasn't 
a  point  of  resemblance.  It  was  her  innocence,  her 
pure  country  charms,  held  him  spellbound.  Many 
women  had  helped  him  in  his  nefarious  designs; 
they  fell  easy  victims  to  his  blandishments  and  his 
payments.  He  found  them  useful;  one  woman  in 
particular  had  proved  invaluable  in  the  case  of  the 
great  explosion  at  the  Valentine  Steel  Works.  It 
was  Mannie  Kerrnon  who  actually  carried  out  his 
designs.  He  had  some  of  her  letters  in  his  case. 
There  was  no  love  between  them,  there  had  been 


go  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

none  between  them;  she  reaped  her  reward  in 
money,  which  she  much  preferred  to  affections. 

Mannie  Kerrnon  was  an  Irishwoman  on  the 
mother's  side.  Her  father  was  a  blackmailer,  a 
despicable  ruffian,  in  the  pay  of  a  notorious  New 
York  Inspector  of  Police.  She  suspected  him  of 
killing  her  mother  and  she  hated  him  as  a  murderer. 
It  was  mainly  because  her  father,  Dirk  Kerrnon, 
was  employed  at  the  Valentine  Steel  Works  that  she 
undertook  to  help  Carl  Meason  in  his  nefarious 
plot.  It  was  a  sad  disappointment  when  Dirk  Kerr- 
non escaped  with  a  few  scratches;  he  never  sus- 
pected his  daughter's  hand  in  the  affair.  He  en- 
tered the  steel  works  in  order  to  spy  on  Valentine 
Braund.  The  Inspector  had  given  him  some  useful 
hints  to  go  upon,  but  Braund  was  a  careful  man  and 
more  than  a  match  for  half  a  dozen  Kerrnons. 

After  the  affair  Mannie  Kerrnon  quarreled  with 
Carl  Meason  over  the  money  due  to  her.  She  was 
outwitted  and,  being  the  woman  she  was,  she  in- 
tended being  revenged  on  him.  So  far  she  had  not 
succeeded,  nor  had  she  any  idea  where  he  was,  or 
what  he  was  doing;  and  he  had  no  intention  of 
enlightening  her  if  he  could  help  it.  He  was  safe 
as  regards  the  great  explosion  at  the  steel  works. 
She  could  not  "  split  "  on  him  without  compromis- 
ing herself. 

As  Meason  sat  in  his  room  at  the  hotel  his  mind 


CARL  MAKES  LOVE  91 

went  back  to  the  old  days  in  New  York,  when  he 
was  hand  and  glove  with  the  biggest  set  of  sharks 
in  the  city,  and  a  pliable  tool  of  Tammany  when  well 
paid  for  his  nasty  work.  What  little  conscience  — 
and  most  men  have  some  stored  away  —  he  pos- 
sessed revolted  at  his  intentions  toward  Jane  Thrush 
—  not  that  they  were  entirely  dishonorable,  but  he 
knew  a  man  with  such  a  past  and  present  as  his  had 
no  right  to  pollute  the  life  of  any  bright,  happy, 
innocent  woman.  To  be  troubled  with  scruples  was 
new  to  him;  he  had  sent  innocent  men  to  death 
without  a  tremor,  had  even  seen  men  and  women 
go  to  long  terms  of  imprisonment  through  his  in- 
strumentality, and  thought  nothing  of  their  misery; 
and  here  he  was  actually  hesitating  about  sacrificing 
Jane  Thrush  on  the  altar  of  his  desires.  Marry 
her,  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  declare  he  would,  and 
was  astounded  at  his  honest  intentions;  he  actually 
laughed,  but  it  was  uneasily. 

He  went  out,  walked  about;  at  night  he  turned 
into  a  music  hall,  but  variety  turns  did  not  interest 
him ;  he  could  not  raise  a  laugh  and  returned  to  the 
hotel  by  ten  o'clock.  Jane's  face  haunted  him;  no 
woman  had  ever  so  obsessed  him.  It  made  him 
angry  that  he,  Carl  Meason,  should  be  caught  in  the 
toils,  discover  that  a  woman  had  a  hold  over  him. 

Gradually  he  pushed  her  into  the  background 
and  thought  over  the  work  he  had  in  hand.     It  was 


92  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

of  great  importance  and  dangerous.  When  war 
came  he  might  be  shot  at  any  time  if  his  doings  were 
discovered.  He  was  accustomed  to  dangers ;  many- 
times  had  he  risked  his  life;  bad  though  he  was, 
there  was  nothing  cowardly  about  him.  He  had 
some  contempt  for  death,  although  he  dearly  loved 
life.  There  are  bad  men  who  are  brave,  and  such 
was  he  —  brave,  that  is,  in  so  far  as  he  cared  little 
for  risks  so  long  as  he  reaped  rewards. 

He  passed  a  restless  night.  When  he  sank  into 
a  troubled  sleep  he  imagined  he  was  laid  by  the  heels 
and  about  to  be  shot  suddenly.  In  some  unaccount- 
able way  Jane  rushed  up  as  the  soldiers  were  about 
to  fire,  with  a  reprieve.  He  awoke  quivering  with 
joyful  excitement  at  being  saved  from  sudden  death. 
It  gave  him  an  appetite  for  breakfast. 

The  Nottingham  Guardian  was  perused;  from  it 
he  learned  that  Valentine  Braund,  the  American 
steel  magnate,  had  purchased  Mr.  Alan  Chesney's 
famous  horse,  Mameluke,  for  thirty  thousand 
pounds  and  his  destination  was  New  York.  He 
was  more  interested  in  reading  that  Mr.  Braund 
had  been  Mr.  Chesney's  guest  at  Trent  Park  for  a 
few  days  and  was  returning  to  London  on  Satur- 
day. 

"  That  suits  me,"  said  Carl  to  himself.  "  I'll 
get  back  to  Little  Trent  that  day ;  I'll  drop  a  note  to 
surly  Abel  and  advise  him." 


CARL  MAKES  LOVE  93 

Before  noon*  he  motored  to  Derby;  from  there 
he  went  to  Haddon  Hall  and  Chatsworth.  He  was 
fond  of  beautiful  scenery  and  Derbyshire  pleased 
him.  He  was,  however,  more  familiar  with  Nor- 
folk and  the  coast  towns;  roads  running  from  the 
coast  interested  him  and  he  knew  most  of  them  from 
Hunstanton  as  far  north  as  Scarborough.  He  was 
later  to  make  sinister  use  of  the  knowledge. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    BARON'S    TIP 

WAR  clouds  were  gathering  when  the  royal 
meeting  began  at  Ascot,  but  very  few  people 
imagined  they  would  burst  so  soon. 

Alan  Chesney  had  a  strong  team  for  the  fashion- 
able gathering;  and,  as  usual,  Eve  Berkeley  had 
taken  a  house  at  Ascot,  among  her  guests  being 
Ella  Hallam,  Harry  Morby,  and  Vincent  Newport, 
also  Bernard  Hallam,  who  had  just  arrived  from 
Australia.  Alan  stayed  at  the  Royal  Hotel,  where 
his  horses  were  stabled.  In  the  team  were  the  Ep- 
som winners,  Robin  Hood,  The  Duke,  and  Evelyn; 
in  the  Hunt  Cup  he  had  Bandmaster,  with  the  light 
weight  of  seven  stone. 

Fred  Skane  pronounced  Bandmaster  a  pretty 
good  thing  for  the  popular  handicap ;  he  was  much 
surprised  when  the  horse  only  had  seven  stone 
alloted  him. 

It  was  a  brilliant  Ascot;  it  always  is,  but  on  this 
occasion  there  seemed  to  be  more  people  than  usual, 
and  there  was  much  gaiety  in  the  neighborhood. 

Eve  Berkeley,  however,  did  not  seem  in  such 
high  spirits  as  usual.     Her  love  for  Alan  Chesney 

94 


THE  BARON'S  TIP  95 

grew  and  strengthened.  She  longed  for  him  to  ask 
her  to  be  his  wife,  and  wondered  why  he  hung  back. 
Was  it  possible  he  did  not  see  how  she  loved  him? 
Alan  had  not  been  to  The  Forest  much  lately,  and 
she  wondered  why.  Her  attachment  to  him  caused 
her  pain,  for  she  saw  no  signs  that  it  was  returned 
in  the  way  she  desired.  Had  she  offended  him  in, 
any  way?  She  was  not  aware  of  having  done  sol 
Her  surroundings  at  Ascot,  however,  dispelled  these 
gloomy  feelings  before  the  first  day's  racing  was 
over,  and  Alan  had  been  more  attentive  to  her  than 
for  some  time  past. 

On  Hunt  Cup  Day  there  was  a  tremendous  crowd, 
and  thirty  runners  were  saddled  for  the  big  race. 
Spur  was  favorite,  and  even  in  such  a  big  field  he 
touched  four  to  one  an  hour  before  the  race.  An- 
other well  backed  was  Manifest,  while  Hooker, 
Bird,  and  half  a  dozen  more  had  plenty  of  friends. 
Bandmaster  stood  at  a  hundred  to  five  in  the  bet- 
ting, and  at  this  price  Alan  and  his  friends  secured 
some  good  wagers. 

Bernard  Hallam  was  impressed  by  the  horses, 
and  his  remarks  in  the  paddock  proved  he  was  a 
good  judge.  The  Australian  had  a  free  and  easy 
way  that  soon  won  him  friends.  He  was  more 
approachable  than  Valentine  Braund,  although  they 
seemed  to  have  much  in  common. 

He  was  delighted  with  Eve  Berkeley,  and  told 


96  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

his  daughter  she  was  the  most  beautiful  woman  he 
had  seen. 

"Don't  fall  in  love  with  her,"  laughed  Ella; 
"  she's  dangerous,  has  a  host  of  admirers,  but  it 
doesn't  make  her  a  bit  conceited.  She  is  my  best 
friend;  I  like  her  so  much." 

Eve  got  on  well  with  Bernard  Hallam ;  he  amused 
her.  She  liked  him  better  than  the  American;  she 
thought  him  more  genuine  and  reliable. 

Baron  Childs  was  running  White  Legs  in  the 
Hunt  Cup,  a  five-year-old  chestnut  with  four  white 
legs,  a  useful  horse,  winner  of  three  or  four  good 
handicaps.  He  was  talking  to  Eve  Berkeley  in  the 
paddock  as  Alan  Chesney  went  across  to  Band- 
master. Eve  did  not  see  him ;  she  was  in  animated 
conversation.  Alan  smiled  as  he  saw  them,  won- 
dering if  she  was  requesting  another  tip,  and  if  it 
would  prove  as  good  as  Merry  Monarch. 

"  Not  half  a  bad  horse,"  said  Bernard  Hallam  as 
he  looked  at  Bandmaster. 

"  He's  pretty  good  and  he's  got  a  very  light 
weight.     I  fancy  he'll  just  about  win,"  said  Alan. 

Harry  Morby  and  Vincent  Newport  had  already 
backed  the  horse  and  were  enthusiastic  about  his 
chances.  Valentine  Braund  pronounced  Bandmas- 
ter too  light  and  said  he  would  look  elsewhere  for 
the  winner. 

"  Better  ask  Miss   Berkeley   for  the  tip.     She's 


THE  BARON'S  TIP  97 

talking  to  Baron  Childs  —  he  owns  White  Legs," 
said  Alan. 

"  Not  a  bad  idea,"  replied  Braund.  "  Do  you 
really  think  your  horse  has  a  chance?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do;  I've  backed  him." 

"  Scraggy  animal,  not  my  sort  at  all." 

"  Sorry  he  does  not  please  you,"  said  Alan,  laugh- 
ing; "  but  your  poor  opinion  will  not  stop  him." 

Skane  was  saddling  the  horse.  Mark  Colley, 
Tommy  Colley's  youngest  brother,  stood  close  by. 
He  was  to  ride,  and  had  already  donned  the  brown 
and  blue-sleeved  jacket.  Mark  was  a  clever  light- 
weight, and  had  been  well  coached  by  his  brother 
and  Fred  Skane,  whose  apprentice  he  was,  but  he 
had  already  forfeited  the  five  pound  allowance,  hav- 
ing ridden  the  requisite  number  of  winners.  He 
was  a  merry  little  fellow,  and  still  retained  his  boy- 
ish ways,  although  Skane  said  he  had  the  wisdom 
of  a  man  in  his  head.  His  brother,  Tommy,  was 
riding  Manifest,  and  Ben  Bradley  had  the  mount  on 
White  Legs. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  horses  went  out  there 
was  a  gay  scene  in  the  paddock,  animated  conversa- 
tions were  going  on,  many  tips  were  given,  and  the 
interest  in  the  race  was  intense. 

Baron  Childs  was  confident  about  White  Legs ;  the 
horse  had  been  highly  tried,  and  Ben  Bradley  was 
sanguine  of  winning. 


98  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  You  gave  me  the  Derby  winner,"  said  Eve, 
"  and  I  shall  back  your  colors  again  to-day." 

"  Mr.  Chesney's  horse  must  have  a  good  chance ; 
he  has  a  very  light  weight,"  said  the  Baron. 

"  I  believe  he  thinks  it  is  a  good  thing;  but  he  said 
Gold  Star  would  win  the  Derby  and  that  did  not 
come  off,"  said  Eve. 

"  Do  you  like  my  horse  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Very  much.     He  is  in  splendid  condition." 

"  Then  back  him.  I  feel  sure  it  will  bring  luck 
to  my  colors." 

"  Have  you  met  Mr.  Hallam?  "  she  asked.  "  He 
has  recently  come  from  Australia,  and  is  well  known 
in  the  racing  world  there." 

"  I  should  like  to  meet  him." 

"Then  I  will  introduce  you;  he  is  over  there 
looking  at  Bandmaster,"  said  Eve,  and  they  walked 
in  that  direction. 

"  Here  comes  Eve  with  her  escort,"  said  Alan, 
laughing. 

"  The  Baron  evidently  enjoys  her  society,"  said 
Ella.     Then  as  Eve  joined  them  she  said : 

"  Has  Baron  Childs  given  you  another  tip?  " 

"  Yes,  White  Legs ;  I  shall  back  him,"  answered 
Eve,  and  then  introduced  Mr.  Hallam,  who  at  once 
monopolized  the  Baron's  attention. 

"  So  you  are  going  to  back  the  Baron's  tip 
again?  "  said  Alan. 


THE  BARON'S  TIP  99 

"Yes.     Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  think  my  horse  will  win,"  said  Alan. 

"  Very  well  then ;  I  will  stick  to  White  Legs,"  said 
Eve. 

"  Quite  right,  follow  the  Baron ;  it  was  a  favorite 
cry  years  ago,"  was  Alan's  reply. 

"  You  do  not  appear  to  care  whether  I  back  your 
horse  or  not,"  said  Eve  sharply. 

"  I  don't  suppose  it  will  make  any  difference  to 
his  winning  chance,"  said  Alan. 

"  The  Baron  says  I  bring  him  good  luck  when  I 
back  his  horses,"  she  replied. 

"  Very  nice  of  him,  I  am  sure.  I  suppose  he 
puts  Merry  Monarch's  Derby  win  down  to  that 
cause." 

"Perhaps  he  does;  anyhow  he's  more  compli- 
mentary than  you,"  snapped  Eve. 

Alan  was  amused.     What  was  she  cross  about  ? 

Eve  saw  he  was  amused  and  it  irritated  her.  She 
began  to  think  he  cared  very  little  about  her;  this 
feeling  hurt  and  caused  her  pain  mingled  with 
anger.  Why  was  he  so  blind  when  others  acknowl- 
edged her  charms,  sometimes  made  love  to  her;  she 
had  spurned  them  all  for  his  sake  and  he  neglected 
her.  She  felt  reckless;  a  plunge  might  relieve  the 
tension,  cause  excitement,  make  her  forget  these 
things.     She  turned  to  the  Baron  and  said : 

"  Will  you  execute  a  commission  for  me?  " 


ioo  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  With  pleasure.  Are  you  going  to  back  my 
horse?" 

"  Yes ;  put  me  five  hundred  on,"  she  said. 

He  thought  it  a  large  sum  but  made  no  remark 
except  to  say  she  might  consider  it  done. 

"  I  will  get  the  best  price  possible,"  he  said,  "  and 
I  hope  he  will  win." 

"  So  do  I,"  she  replied. 

Alan  overheard  this ;  she  intended  he  should,  and 
when  the  Baron  left  he  said : 

"  You  have  backed  the  wrong  horse  this  time ;  the 
Baron  will  not  win." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I  ought  to  have  backed  your 
horse  because  you  are  my  next-door  neighbor?  "  she 
answered  sharply. 

He  laughed. 

"  Most  of  your  friends  are  on  Bandmaster." 

"  Then  I  shall  be  able  to  chaff  them  when  White 
Legs  has  won,"  she  answered. 

"  I  say,  old  man,  your  horse  is  coming  with  a 
rattle  in  the  betting;  there's  a  pot  of  money  going 
on,"  said  Harry  Morby. 

"  Mine,  no  doubt,"  answered  Alan.  "  I  have 
sent  out  a  late  commission.  I  am  anxious  to  win; 
it  will  take  Miss  Berkeley  down  a  peg;  she  always 
pins  her  faith  to  the  Baron's  colors." 

"  That's  your  fault,"  said  Harry. 

"Why?" 


THE  BARON'S  TIP  101 

"  Because  you  treat  her  with  indifference  and  she 
doesn't  deserve  it.'' 

"  I  am  not  aware  of  doing  so,"  said  Alan.  He 
would  have  resented  this  from  anybody  except 
Morby,  who  was  a  privileged  person. 

Captain  Morby  did  not  pursue  the  subject  further. 

"  You  can  keep  a  secret,  Alan?  "  he  asked. 

"  I'll  try.     You're  a  mysterious  fellow,  Harry." 

"  It's  about  the  regiment,"  he  said.  "  We're  to 
hold  ourselves  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  —  don't 
split  —  I  might  be  court-martialled." 

"  Whew !  "  whistled  Alan.     "  This  looks  serious." 

"Bet  you  there's  war  before  long;  it's  a  bigger 
cert  than  Bandmaster,"  said  Harry. 

"  And  I'm  out  of  it." 

"  You  needn't  be.  Join  us  again.  You'll  easily 
get  your  commission ;  they'll  want  all  the  men  they 
can  get,  especially  officers." 

"If  there  is  trouble  I  shall  not  be  idle,"  said  Alan. 

"  I  know  that,  old  fellow;  no  need  to  tell  me  that." 

Something  seemed  to  be  in  the  air.  There  were 
many  officers  present  and  they  were  talking  in 
groups  of  three  or  four.  Judging  by  their  faces  it 
was  not  about  racing ;  Alan  noticed  this  and  thought : 

"  It's  coming,  the  great  upheaval ;  Fraser's  man  is 
right.  By  Jove,  I'll  hustle,  as  Braund  would  say, 
when  things  begin  to  move." 

The  horses  were  going  to  the  post  and  the  June 


102  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

sun  shone  on  the  thirty  bright  jackets  as  they  went 
past.  The  din  in  Tattersalls  was  deafening.  In 
the  crowded  enclosure  there  was  hardly  room  to 
move;  eager  backers  jostled  each  other  in  their  anx- 
iety to  get  at  the  bookmakers. 

Peet  Craker  left  the  rails  for  a  moment  as  he  saw 
Alan  Chesney. 

"  I've  a  matter  of  a  couple  of  thousand  left 
against  Bandmaster,"  he  said. 

"  I'll  have  it,"  answered  Alan ;  and  the  book- 
maker said,  "  at  a  hundred  to  eight." 

"  That's  a  fair  price,"  said  Alan. 

"  Will  he  win,  Mr.  Chesney?  " 

"  He  has  a  real  good  chance,  Peet,"  replied  Alan. 

The  horses  disappeared  over  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  cantered  down  the  slope,  and  ranged  behind  the 
barrier,  with  the  trees  for  a  background.  It  was  a 
beautiful  line  of  color  as  seen  from  the  top  of  the 
stands. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A   FINE   FINISH 

THE  big  field  got  away  in  an  almost  unbroken 
line,  a  splendid  start ;  a  loud  shout  proclaimed 
the  race  had  commenced.  For  a  few  minutes  they 
disappeared,  then  as  they  came  up  the  rise  the  caps 
appeared  over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  in  a  couple 
of  seconds  the  thirty  horses  were  in  full  view, 
stretched  across  the  wide  course,  advancing  like  a 
cavalry  charge. 

A  wonderful  race  the  Royal  Hunt  Cup,  a  beauti- 
ful sight.  It  has  been  described  scores  of  times 
and  no  description  exaggerates  its  charm.  The 
course  is  grand,  the  surroundings  picturesque;  his- 
torical associations  cling  to  the  famous  heath,  where 
kings  and  princes,  lords  and  commoners,  have  as- 
sembled year  after  year,  and  royal  processions  have 
come  up  the  course  amid  the  enthusiastic  plaudits 
of  vast  crowds.  Truly  the  sport  of  racing  is  the 
sport  of  kings,  and  no  less  of  a  huge  majority  of  the 
people. 

Bernard  Hallam  and  Valentine  Braund  acknowl- 
edged its  charm.  There  was  nothing  quite  like  it 
anywhere,  one  of  the  racing  sights  of  the  world, 

103 


104  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

different  from  Epsom  on  Derby  Day,  Doncaster  on 
Leger  Day,  or  glorious  Goodwood,  unique  in  its 
way;  no  such  gathering  can  be  seen  in  any  other 
country. 

The  attention  of  thousands  of  people  was  riveted 
on  the  horses;  all  other  thoughts  were  excluded. 
For  a  few  brief  moments  everything  was  forgotten 
but  the  business  in  hand,  the  probable  result,  which 
horse  would  be  added  to  the  long  roll  of  Hunt  Cup 
winners. 

The  thirty  horses  were  almost  level  as  they  came 
in  sight,  one  or  two  stragglers,  but  it  was  an  even 
race  so  far.  As  they  began  the  ascent,  the  stiff  pull 
to  the  winning-post,  the  field  lengthened  out,  horse 
after  horse  fell  back,  and  a  dozen  only  possessed 
chances.  The  rise  finds  out  the  weak  spots,  and 
the  lack  of  a  final  gallop  makes  a  lot  of  difference. 
It  takes  a  good  horse  to  win  a  Hunt  Cup ;  no  mat- 
ter if  he  does  little  after,  he  must  be  brilliant  on  the 
day. 

Alan  stood  with  Captain  Morby  and  Captain 
Newport  high  on  the  grand-stand.  They  knew 
where  to  command  the  best  view  of  the  race;  it  was 
a  climb,  a  scramble  to  get  there,  but  worth  it. 

"  Bandmaster's  in  the  center,"  said  Harry. 
"  He's  going  strong,  but  he'll  have  to  make  his  run 
soon,  there's  a  good  many  lengths  between  him  and 
Spur." 


A  FINE  FINISH 


105 


The  favorite  was  at  the  head  of  the  field,  trav- 
eling in  great  style.  There  was  just  a  suspicion 
he  would  not  quite  stay  the  course,  but  he  seemed 
to  be  giving  it  the  lie.  Close  on  his  heels  came 
Manifest,  Bird,  Hooker,  Peter's  Lad,  Beltan,  and 
White  Legs. 

The  Baron's  horse  began  slowly,  but  soon  joined 
up  with  the  rest.  The  scarlet  jacket  was  prom- 
inent, and  as  Eve  saw  it  creeping  toward  the  front, 
she  felt  confident  the  Baron's  tip  would  again  come 
off.  She  wondered  why  she  did  not  feel  enthusi- 
astic at  the  prospect  of  a  good  win.  Was  it  be- 
cause she  would  rather  have  had  her  money  on 
Bandmaster  and  see  Alan's  colors  successful? 
Perhaps  it  was;  anyhow  it  was  absurd  to  wish  to 
see  his  colors  in  front  when  her  money  was  on 
White  Legs. 

Manifest  shot  to  the  front  as  they  drew  level 
with  the  lawn,  followed  by  Bird,  and  Peter's  Lad; 
with  a  rush  came  Scout,  an  outsider.  White  Legs 
was  gaining  ground.  Right  in  the  center  of  the 
course  was  Bandmaster,  who  liked  the  stiff  going 
and  tackled  the  work  like  a  good  'un,  the  seven  stone 
gave  him  every  chance. 

Alan  was  anxious  to  win ;  the  Hunt  Cup  was  a 
race  he  often  had  a  shot  at;  so  far  his  horses  had 
not  run  into  a  place.  He  had  great  hopes  of  Band- 
master's changing  his  luck. 


106  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Valentine  Braund  backed  Manifest,  not  a  bad 
pick ;  Bernard  Hallam  was  on  Bandmaster ;  so  was 
Ella,  and  most  of  Eve  Berkeley's  party  followed 
the  brown  and  blue  sleeves. 

A  loud  shout  greeted  the  appearance  of  White 
Legs  in  the  leading  trio,  and  Bradley  looked  so 
much  at  ease  that  all  who  had  backed  the  horse 
were  confident ;  before  the  distance  was  reached  the 
scarlet  jacket  held  the  lead,  and  the  Baron's  horse 
appeared  to  have  a  mortgage  on  the  race. 

Young  Colley  still  had  Bandmaster  in  the  center 
of  the  track,  clear  of  the  others.  He  was  riding  a 
cool,  well-judged  race,  and  had  every  confidence  in 
his  mount.  Yard  by  yard  the  horse  crept  up;  his 
jockey  knew  he  was  gaining  at  every  stride.  He 
measured  the  distance  to  the  winning-post  with 
critical  eyes  and  felt  certain  of  victory.  From  the 
stands  Bandmaster  seemed  to  be  a  long  way  behind 
the  leaders,  and  Alan  thought  his  bad  luck  in  the 
race  was  to  continue.  Gradually  the  sounds  in- 
creased until  they  culminated  in  a  roar  as  White 
Legs  came  on  at  the  head  of  the  field,  followed  by 
Manifest,  and  Spur,  who  had  come  again  in  gallant 
style. 

A  lull  in  the  shouting  for  an  infinitesimal  moment, 
then  a  terrific  roar  proclaimed  Bandmaster  was 
pulling  hard. 

The  brown  and  blue  came  along  fast,  very  fast, 


A  FINE  FINISH  107 

and  there  was  no  sign  of  faltering  on  the  part  of 
Bandmaster,  who  tackled  his  stiff  work  in  bull-dog 
style. 

"By  gad,  he'll  do  it!"  exclaimed  Harry  ex- 
citedly. 

"  Looks  cheerful,"  said  Vincent. 

Alan  made  no  remark.  He  was  not  quite  certain 
his  horse  would  catch  White  Legs  and  Manifest; 
he  had  given  Spur  the  go  by. 

There  was  considerable  doubt  as  to  which  horse 
would  win,  although  the  odds  were  in  favor  of 
White  Legs. 

Bradley,  riding  a  confident  race,  was  on  the 
alert ;  he  never  threw  a  chance  away.  Tommy 
Colley  got  every  ounce  out  of  Manifest;  and  when 
his  brother  drew  alongside  on  Bandmaster  he  knew 
he  must  make  the  last  ounce  a  trifle  over  weight  to 
win. 

For  a  second  the  pair  hung  together,  then  Man- 
ifest was  beaten,  but  struggled  on.  Roar  upon 
roar  came  from  the  vast  crowd  as  Bandmaster  got 
to  White  Legs'  quarters,  and  the  excitement  was 
tremendous. 

Eve  Berkeley  looked  on  anxiously.  At  this 
critical  point  she  hoped  the  Baron's  horse  would  be 
first  past  the  post ;  she  would  draw  a  large  sum,  and 
the  prospect  of  winning  was  delightful. 

Bradley  was  the  stronger  rider,  but  he  had  not 


108  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

more  determination  than  his  young  rival.  Band- 
master drew  level,  and  in  the  next  few  strides  got 
his  head  in  front.  At  this  Alan's  feelings  grew  too 
strong  for  him  and  he  shouted : 

"  Bandmaster  wins !  "  two  or  three  times. 

It  was  a  grand  race  and  one  to  be  remembered. 

Again  White  Legs  held  a  slight  advantage,  but 
Bandmaster  was  not  done  with,  and  the  difference 
in  weight  told  its  tale.  Colley  was  riding  hard;  it 
was  a  very  clever  effort  on  his  part,  and  recognized 
as  such.  As  they  closed  on  to  the  winning-post 
Bandmaster  again  got  his  head  in  front  and  this 
time  White  Legs  could  not  wrest  the  advantage 
from  him. 

A  few  more  strides  decided  the  race.  Band- 
master won  by  half  a  length  from  White  Legs,  with 
Manifest  third. 

Although  Alan's  horse  started  at  twelve  to  one 
he  was  heavily  backed,  and  his  win  was  well  re- 
ceived. There  was  much  cheering  as  the  horse 
came  in;  the  brown  and  blue  was  popular;  the 
Chesney  colors  were  always  out  to  win. 

Alan  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  congratula- 
tions, Baron  Childs  being  one  of  the  first  to  greet 
him. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  join  in  the  paeans  of  victory," 
said  Eve  smiling. 

"  You  can't  feel  very  delighted  under  the  circum- 


A  FINE  FINISH  109 

stances,"  said  Alan.     "  It  would  have  suited  you 
better  had  White  Legs  won." 

"  Perhaps  it  would.  Still  I  am  very  glad  you 
have  won  a  Hunt  Cup  at  last ;  you  have  had  several 
tries,"  she  replied. 

"  It's  good  of  you  to  say  so,"  he  said.  "  I  told 
you  my  horse  had  a  big  chance." 

"  You  did.  I  don't  know  what  made  me  follow 
the  Baron's  tip." 

"  I  think  I  do." 

"What?" 

"  You  have  more  confidence  in  his  advice  than 
mine,"  he  said. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  was  the  reason." 

"  What  other  could  there  be?  " 

"  Obstinacy,"  she  said. 

"  I  never  thought  of  that  —  perversity  would  be 
better." 

"  Much  the  same  thing,"  she  replied. 

;<  I  am  afraid  I  put  you  wrong,"  said  the  Baron. 
"If  it  had  not  been  for  me  you  would  no  doubt 
have  backed  Mr.  Chesney's  horse." 

"  You  must  not  blame  yourself  for  that.  I  am 
quite  satisfied,"  she  said. 

"  You  would  have  been  more  satisfied  had  the 
Baron's  horse  won,"  said  Alan. 

"Naturally;  I  backed  it." 
Not  for  that  reason  alone,"  answered  Alan,  as 


<< 


no  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

he  walked  away  and  joined  Ella  and  her   father. 

"  He  leaves  me  for  Ella  always,"  thought  Eve 
with  a  pang,  "  and  yet  I  do  not  think  he  cares  for 
her  that  way.  I  believe  he  half  loves  me.  I'll  put 
him  to  the  test  one  of  these  days,  it's  worth  the 
risk;  nothing  venture,  nothing  have  —  an  old  saying 
which  often  comes  true." 

When  Alan  returned  to  Trent  Park  he  found 
Duncan  Fraser  waiting  for  him  and  at  once  knew 
there  was  something  important  to  communicate. 
Fraser  looked  serious  as  he  said : 

"  I  hope  you  had  an  enjoyable  time  at  Ascot?  " 

"  Yes ;  won  the  Hunt  Cup  and  another  race. 
Made  a  few  thousands  in  the  meeting,"  said  Alan. 

"  There'll  be  war  in  little  over  a  month,"  said 
Fraser. 

"You  have  had  more  news  from  Berlin?" 

"  This  letter  came  this  morning.  I  knew  you 
were  to  be  home  to-day,  so  thought  I'd  bring  it 


over." 


Alan  thanked  him,  read  it,  and  said : 

"  What  on  earth  is  the  Government  doing?  It 
ought  to  be  informed." 

"  It  is  —  has  been  for  sometime.  But  we  know 
how  it  is.  They  always  wait  until  their  hands  are 
forced  —  they  are  afraid." 

"Of  what,  of  what  can  a  British  Government  be 
afraid?" 


it 
ft 


it 
it 


A  FINE  FINISH  m 

"  First  and  foremost,  of  the  anti-war  party,  the 
peace-at-any-price  men;  then  the  labor  party,  votes 
are  the  chief  consideration.  It's  abominable,"  said 
Fraser. 

Like  sticking  to  office,  I  suppose?  " 
Yes;  at  all  costs." 

"  You  are  certain  they  know  there  will  be  war  ?  " 
They  must." 
And  they  will  meet  the  shock  unprepared?  " 

"  As  regards  the  army,  yes ;  not  the  navy.  There 
never  was  a  navy  stronger  than  ours  at  the  present 
day,  but  it's  been  a  tremendous  fight  to  get  the 
money,  men  and  ships,"  said  Fraser. 

"  You  ought  to  be  in  the  House,"  said  Alan. 

Fraser  laughed. 

"  I  should  want  a  free  hand  from  my  constitu- 
ents," he  said. 

"And  you'd  get  it;  you're  just  the  man,"  re- 
plied Alan. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  "  asked  Fraser. 

"If  war  breaks  out?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Try  and  get  the  commission  I  threw  up,"  said 
Alan. 

"  I  thought  so,  and  really  I  can't  blame  you ;  we 
shall  want  every  man  we  can  get,"  said  Duncan 
Fraser. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ALAN    IS    BLIND 

IT  was  about  a  month  later  when  Alan  called  at 
The  Forest  and  found  Eve  Berkeley  alone. 
Ella  was  with  her  father  in  London;  they  had  ac- 
cepted her  invitation  to  pay  another  visit  later  on. 
She  had  been  waiting  for  him,  wondering  why  he 
did  not  call.     She  soon  heard  the  reason. 

"  I  have  been  awfully  rushed,"  he  said.  "  Lots  of 
things  to  see  to  at  Chesney's  before  I  go  away." 

"  Go  away !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Where  are  you 
going?     This  is  rather  sudden;  I  am  surprised." 

"  I  have  joined  the  army  again.  I  have  been 
fortunate  enough  to  get  a  commission  as  captain. 
I  tried  hard  to  get  back  in  my  old  regiment,  but 
there  was  no  vacancy.  I  shall  be  gazetted  to  the 
'  Sherwoods '  in  a  few  days ;  they  are  at  Derby 
now.  There  are  stirring*  times  ahead,  and  I'm  not 
sorry.     It  was  bound  to  some  sooner  or  later." 

"What?" 

"  War." 

She  looked  incredulous. 

"  Are  you  sure  ?     What  makes  you  so  certain  ?  " 

112 


ALAN  IS  BLIND  113 

"  Fraser  has  a  reliable  man  in  Berlin ;  he  sent 
the  information.  We  have  acted  upon  it  —  in  the 
brewery  —  and  I  did  not  mean  to  wait  weeks  for  a 
chance  when  war  is  declared,"  he  said. 

;'  Duncan  Fraser  seems  to  be  a  valuable  mine  of 
information,"  she  said. 

''  He  is.  Do  you  know,  he's  a  wonderful  man, 
Eve." 

She  laughed  as  she  replied : 

"  Your  father  always  had  a  high  opinion  of  his 
abilities." 

'  You  and  my  father  were  jolly  good  friends." 

"  We  were  on  excellent  terms;  I  liked  him." 

'  He  could  be  very  agreeable  when  he  chose." 

"  And  in  that  respect  his  son  resembles  him." 

Alan  laughed. 

'  Then  I  suppose  you  do  not  think  I  always  choose 
to  be  agreeable?"  he  said. 

"  You  have  lapses ;  sometimes  you  are  almost 
rude,  most  abrupt,  somewhat  neglectful  of  your 
best  friends." 

"  Oh,  I  say!  That's  not  a  very  flattering  picture. 
To  which  of  my  best  friends  have  I  been  neglect- 
ful?" he  asked. 

"  Myself  —  for  one." 

He  looked  surprised. 

"  That  charge  will  not  stand  being  put  to  the 
test,"  he  answered. 


114  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  You  have  not  been  to  see  me  since  Ascot,"  she 
said. 

"  And  that  comes  under  the  charge  of  neglect?  " 

"Yes.     You  consider  me  one  of  your  friends?" 

"  Of  course;  don't  ask  foolish  questions." 

Alan  looked  particularly  well  this  morning.  He 
was  a  picture  of  health,  a  well-groomed  man;  his 
eyes  were  bright  as  he  looked  at  her,  thinking  how 
lovely  she  was. 

To  Eve  he  was  more  attractive  than  ever.  She 
loved  him  with  her  whole  heart  and  soul,  every 
nerve  in  her  body  thrilled  toward  him ;  and  there  he 
stood,  smiling  at  her  placidly,  when  she  longed  for 
him  to  take  her  in  his  arms,  crush  her,  pour  out  a 
tale  of  love  into  her  waiting,  willing  ears.  Why 
could  he  not  see  it? 

She  held  herself  in  bounds,  but  it  was  diffi- 
cult. 

"When  do  you  join  the  Sherwoods?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  have  joined ;  I  am  on  leave.  I  have  to  put  a 
lot  of  things  straight  at  Trent  Park.  I  had  no  idea 
there  was  so  much  to  do." 

"  But  you  are  not  in  uniform,"  she  said. 

"  No ;  I  thought  I'd  come  over  in  ordinary  attire 
—  you  might  have  been  startled  to  see  me  in 
khaki." 

I  certainly  would  have  been." 


(S 


ALAN  IS  BLIND 


115 


(i 


Eve,  I  want  you  to  do  something  for  me  when 
I  go  away,"  he  said. 

Her  heart  beat  fast,  this  was  more  promising. 

"  You  know  I  am  only  too  willing  to  do  anything 
I  can  for  you." 

'  That's  good  of  you.  I  want  you  to  keep  an 
eye  on  things  at  Trent  Park." 

"  You  have  a  very  capable  housekeeper." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  but  even  she  wants  supervising  some- 
times." 

"  And  you  think  I  can  do  it  ?  "  she  asked  with  a 
smile. 

:<  Nobody  can  do  it  so  well ;  you  are  accustomed 
to  manage,  always  have  been.  I've  heard  my  father 
say  so,  and  of  course  I've  noticed  it  myself,"  said 
Alan. 

He  looked  at  her  curiously,  mischief  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  believe  my  governor  was  more  than  half  in 
love  with  you,  Eve,"  he  said. 

She  felt  hot,  uncomfortable;  Alan's  father  had 
been  very  much  in  love,  or  infatuated,  with  her. 

"  How  foolish !  Don't  be  absurd,  Alan,"  she 
said  hastily. 

He  had  seen  the  change  in  her ;  he  had  sometimes 
wondered  if  his  father  had  paid  attentions  to  her, 
then  dismissed  the  idea  as  ridiculous. 

"  Is  it  absurd?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  must  know  it  is,"  she  said,  with  emphasis. 


n6  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  The  governor  was  rather  a  ladies'  man,"  he 
said  smiling.  He  saw  she  was  uncomfortable,  and 
teased  her. 

"  He  was  very  polite  and  considerate,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"  More  polite  than  his  son,  according  to  your 
version,"  he  answered. 

"  I  never  said  so." 

"  Not  in  so  many  words.  You  said  I  neglected 
my  best  friends." 

"  And  it  is  true ;  you  haven't  been  to  see  me  for 
a  month." 

"  I  have  explained  why.     I  say,  Eve " 

"  Yes." 

"Did  you  miss  me?  I  mean  did  you  want  me 
to  come  and  see  you?  " 

"  I  did." 

"  You  really  missed  me  ?  "  he  asked  again. 

"  Very  much.  Are  you  not  my  nearest  neigh- 
bor ?  Have  we  not  been  old  friends  for  many  years  ? 
I  do  not  like  to  lose  old  friends,"  she  said. 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  losing  me.  That  will 
rest  with  yourself;  I  am  always  at  your  commands," 
he  answered. 

"  Always?  "  she  asked. 

"  Whenever  yon  want  me,"  he  replied. 

Want  him!  Did  she  not  always  want  him? 
Wrhy  was  he  so  blind? 


ALAN  IS  BLIND  117 

:'  If  there  is  war  you  will  go  on  active  service?  " 
she  said. 

"  I  hope  so;  I  don't  want  to  remain  here,  kicking 
my  heels  in  idleness,"  he  replied  with  a  laugh. 

"No;  I  suppose  that  is  natural.     I  shall  miss  you 
very  much." 

"  It's   nice   to  be  missed.     I'm  a  lucky   fellow, 
Eve." 

"Are  you?" 

''  Yes ;  there's  many  a  man  would  like  to  hear  you 
say  that  —  the  Baron,  for  instance,"  he  said. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken  about  the  Baron,"  she 
said. 

"  He  admires  you,  and  didn't  he  give  you  the 
winner  of  the  Derby?  " 

"  But  not  the  Hunt  Cup,"   she  replied   with  a 
laugh. 

"  No ;  but  he  wasn't  far  out,"  said  Alan.     "  Then 
there's  Harry  Morby;  he's  your  devoted  slave." 

"Is  he?     There's  not  much  of  the  slave  about 
him,"  she  replied,  smiling.     "  I  suppose  he's  sorry 
you  are  not  in  your  old  regiment." 
He  says  so;  I  really  believe  he  is." 
The    Sherwoods   are   a   famous   cavalry    regi- 
ment? "  she  asked. 

"  They  bear  an  honored  name,  they  have  seen 
some  service.     I  am  lucky  to  get  in  there." 


it 


ti 

it 
it 


118  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  You  were  always  a  good  soldier." 

"  Glad  you  think  so.  There'll  be  no  feather-bed 
soldiering  this  time." 

"  You  seem  positive  there  will  be  war?  " 
Yes;  absolutely  certain." 
It  will  be  a  terrible  thing." 
Awful;  the  slaughter  will  be  great." 

"  And  hundreds  of  thousands  will  lose  their 
lives?" 

"  Yes ;  no  doubt  about  that." 

"  I  shall  pray  for  your  safety  then,  Alan." 

"Don't  get  solemn  about  it  —  I'm  not  gone  yet. 
You'll  do  as  I  ask?  Just  run  over  to  Trent  Park 
sometimes  and  let  me  know  how  things  are  going 
on.  Sam  Kerridge  said  I  must  tell  you  he'd  always 
be  very  pleased  to  show  you  over  the  stud  —  good 
fellow,  Sam.     What  else  do  you  think  he  said  ? ': 

"  I  really  can't  guess." 

"  And  I  daren't  tell  you." 

"Why  not?" 

"  It's  personal.  Sam  has  a  habit  of  blurting  out 
what  he  thinks." 

"  Tell  me  what  he  said." 

"  He  asked  me  a  question  when  I  spoke  about 
your  visiting  the  stud  in  my  probable  absence," 
said  Alan. 

"What  was  it?" 

"  '  When's  the  wedding?  '  "  he  said. 


ALAN  IS  BLIND  119 

Eve  lowered  her  eyes. 

"  What  a  curious  question,"  she  said.  "  What 
did  he  mean,  to  whom  did  he  refer?  " 

"  Miss  Eve  Berkeley  and  my  humble  self,"  said 
Alan,  laughing. 

"  How  funny,"  she  said. 

"  Yes ;  that's  just  what  I  thought.  What  the 
deuce  put  it  into  his  head  I  don't  know,"  said  Alan, 
laughing. 

"  I  suppose  he  thinks  near  neighbors  sometimes 
marry,"  said  Eve. 

"  Perhaps  so.  They  do ;  I've  noticed  it.  I  say, 
Eve,  wouldn't  it  be  curious  if  we  ended  up  that 
way  ?  "  said  Alan. 

"  Ended  up  which  way  ?  " 

"  By  marrying.  How  would  you  like  it?  Have 
you  ever  considered  the  prospect?  " 

"  Have  you  ?  "  she  asked  without  looking  at  him. 

"  No,  I  can't  say  I  have.  I  don't  suppose  you'd 
have  me  in  any  case." 

"  Oh!  you  don't  think  I'd  have  you!  Well,  con- 
sider it  over  —  perhaps  we  might  do  worse." 

"  Eve,  you're  not  serious !  You  haven't  been 
looking  at  it  from  that  point  of  view?  "  he  said. 

"  I  believe  I'd  marry  you  to-morrow  if  you  asked 
me,  Alan,"  she  said  smiling,  in  a  half-joking  tone, 
but  her  heart  beat  painfully  fast. 

"  Good  Lord,  you  don't  say  so !  "  exclaimed  Alan, 


120  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

in  such  alarmed  tones  she  could  not  help  laughing. 

"  Please  do  not  be  alarmed,"  she  said. 

"  Of  course  you're  not  serious!  For  the  moment 
I  flattered  myself  you  were.  You're  joking. 
Funny,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Supposing  I  am  serious?  "  she  said. 

"  By  Jove,  I  believe  I'd  ask  you  !  The  temptation 
would  be  more  than  mortal  man  could  resist,"  he 
said. 

"  Try !  Let  me  see  how  you  make  love  —  I  am 
sure  you'd  be  eloquent." 

"  Don't  let  us  carry  this  game  too  far,  Eve ; 
it  might  develop  into  something  serious,"  said  Alan. 

"Something  serious  —  good  heavens,  if  he  only 
knew ! "  she  thought.  "  But  what  can  a  poor 
woman  do  with  such  a  man.  You  are  very  blind, 
Alan." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

INSIDE   THE    KEEP 

CARL  MEASON  was  very  busy.     He  sat  up 
late,  poring  over  maps,  tracing  routes.     Abel 
Head  said: 

"  He  doesn't  seem  to  have  a  minute  to  spare." 

He  had  minutes  to  spare  and  they  were  devoted 
to  paying  attentions  to  Jane  Thrush  when  he  had 
an  opportunity.  She  did  not  avoid  him :  he  inter- 
ested her,  and  her  father  appeared  to  like  him. 

Meason  approached  Thrush  carefully,  feeling  his 
way  gradually ;  he  knew  it  would  be  best  to  influence 
the  father  in  order  to  ingratiate  the  daughter. 

Tom  took  him  through  the  forest,  pointing  out 
places  of  interest.  He  found  Meason  a  ready  lis- 
tener, who  flattered  him  by  remarking  on  the  knowl- 
edge he  possessed.  They  walked  many  miles,  but 
Meason  noticed  he  avoided  going  near  the  house  in 
Trent  Park.  The  moat  aroused  his  curiosity.  It 
was  filled  with  water,  the  depth  being  considerable; 
a  boat  was  moored  to  a  small  landing  stage.  Carl 
asked  if  his  guide  could  take  him  into  the  keep. 
Tom  said: 

121 


122  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  I  have  brought  the  keys  with  me ;  I  thought  per- 
haps you'd  like  to  see  it.  I've  seen  strange  sights 
hereabouts.  I  never  come  nigh  the  place  at  night: 
there's  things  chill  the  marrow  in  one's  bones,"  and 
he  gave  a  slight  shudder. 

Carl  laughed.  He  was  no  believer  in  ghosts  and 
such-like  superstitions. 

"  Yer  can  laugh,"  said  Tom  irritably,  "  but  I've 
seen  'em  I  tell  ye.  My  eyes  are  good  evidence,  I 
can't  doubt  'em." 

"  I  was  not  laughing  at  what  you  thought  you've 
seen,"  said  Carl. 

"Thought!"  exclaimed  Tom.  "There's  no 
thought  about  it;  it's  gospel  truth." 

"What  did  you  see?" 

"  It's  strange,  beyond  telling.  There's  been  mur- 
der done  in  yon  keep  many  a  time;  it's  a  gruesome 
place,"  and  he  pointed  across  the  dark  water  to  the 
round,  ancient,  tower-like  building,  whose  stones 
gave  evidence  of  many  centuries'  battling  with  storm 
and  tempest. 

"  Looks  a  bit  lonesome." 

"  It  is.  You  see  that  spot  near  the  wall  ?  Well, 
it's  dark  and  deep,  and  one  night  I  saw  her  rise 
out  from  the  depth.  She  wailed  and  threw  up  her 
arms,  then  she  sank.  She  came  up  again,  and  a 
third  time;  then  there  was  a  splash  and  she  disap- 
peared.    It  was   a  great  stone  struck  her   down. 


INSIDE  THE  KEEP  123 

From  yon  small  window,  that  slit  in  the  wall,  I  saw 
a  face  looking  out.  It  was  an  awful  face,  must 
have  been  near  kin  to  the  devil's ;  the  thing  groaned, 
broke  into  a  harsh  laugh,  and  it  vanished.  Lord,  I 
never  want  to  see  such  sights  again!  My  hair 
turned  gray,"  said  Tom. 

Carl  was  amused.     He  humored  him. 

"  Strange  happenings  indeed,"  he  said.  "  What's 
it  like  inside?  " 

"  I'll  show  you,  but  you  had  best  go  in  alone. 

I've  had  enough  of  the  d d  place,"  answered 

Tom. 

He  got  into  the  boat,  took  the  solitary  oar  and 
placed  it  in  the  rollock  at  the  stern ;  Carl  stepped  in 
and  stood  up. 

"  Best  sit,"  said  Tom;  "  it's  a  crazy  old  craft." 

"  Why  doesn't  Mr.  Chesney  have  a  new  one?  ' 

"  Don't  know ;  thinks  it's  good  enough  for  the 
job,  I  expect.  He  never  encourages  folks'  going  to 
the  keep." 

"  But  he  allows  you  to  carry  the  keys?  ' 

"  Yes ;  he  trusts  me.  He  knows  I'm  none  too 
fond  of  the  devilish  hole."  Tom  ferried  across  to 
the  broken-down  landing-place  near  the  door  of  the 
keep.     They  got  out. 

"  Here  you  are,"  said  Tom.  "  Go  inside  if  you 
wish." 

Carl  took  the  key. 


124  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  I'll  not  be  long,"  he  said,  as  he  put  it  in  the 
lock.  It  turned  with  difficulty,  and  as  he  pushed  the 
nail-studded  old  oak  door  open  there  was  a  cool, 
damp,  vault-like  smell. 

"  Reckon  you'll  come  out  quick  enough,"  said 
Tom.  "  Best  be  careful ;  there's  some  old  broken 
steps  lead  down  under  the  moat  —  a  dungeon  or 
summat's  there."  He  swore  as  his  foot  slipped  and 
he  almost  fell  into  the  water. 

"  That's  a  sure  sign  we're  not  wanted  here,"  said 
Tom  gloomily. 

Carl  smiled  and  went  inside.  It  was  a  curious, 
gruesome  place,  and  the  dank  air  was  stifling.  He 
climbed  the  stone  steps  upward  until  he  came  to  a 
small  room.  The  walls  were  bare  but  there  were 
a  bed  and  chairs  and  tables,  all  of  oak,  an  iron  ring 
in  the  wall,  a  rusty  chain,  and  a  padlock  of  huge 
size  lay  on  the  stone  floor,  unlocked.  The  slit  in  the 
wall  gave  enough  light  to  see.  Carl  stood  on  a  chair 
and  looked  out.  He  saw  Tom,  waved  his  hand,  but 
there  was  no  response. 

"  He  can't  see  me,"  thought  Carl.  "  It's  strange ; 
he's  looking  straight  here." 

There  were  more  stairs.  At  the  top  he  found 
another  room  exactly  similar  to  the  one  below,  fur- 
nished in  the  same  bare  way.  In  one  corner  he  saw 
something  gray.  Examining  it,  it  proved  to  be  a 
flimsy  gauze-like  wrap;  it  was  not  old,  nor  torn. 


INSIDE  THE  KEEP  125 

There  was  a  white  cloth,  also  a  pair  of  soft  slip- 
pers. 

"  The  ghost's  attire,"  thought  Carl.  "  Somebody 
comes  here  and  frightens  people.  Wonder  what 
for  ?  Probably  to  scare  'em  away  for  some  purpose 
of  his,  or  her,  own.     This  is  interesting." 

He  replaced  the  garment,  letting  it  fall  and 
arranging  it  as  nearly  as  possible  as  he  found  it. 
He  went  down  again,  feeling  the  wall  as  he  de- 
scended. It  was  damp;  drops  stood  out,  burst  and 
trickled  down.  He  found  the  stone  steps  leading 
to  the  dungeon  under  the  moat;  they  were  smooth, 
broken  in  places.  He  was  careful  in  stepping;  a 
slip  and  he  might  be  landed  at  the  bottom  with  a 
sprained  ankle,  a  broken  leg,  or  worse.  It  was  a 
slippery  descent ;  once  or  twice  he  fell  down ;  but  he 
intended  seeing  what  was  at  the  bottom  and  at  last 
succeeded. 

The  dark  dungeon  had  a  curious  odor  in  it,  prob- 
ably due  to  the  water  and  lack  of  fresh  air;  but  there 
was  a  scent  undefinable  as  well.  He  struck  a  match ; 
it  went  out  immediately,  just  as  though  somebody,  or 
something,  had  blown  upon  it.  He  was  not  a  nerv- 
ous man,  but  when  the  second  and  third  match 
went  out  in  the  same  way  he  was  inclined  to  beat  a 
retreat. 

"  One  more  try,"  he  thought,  and  struck  three  or 
four  wax  matches  at  once ;  this  proved  effective  and 


126  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

gave  him  time  to  see  in  the  corner,  propped  up,  what 
looked  like  the  body  of  a  man.  He  must  be  mis- 
taken ;  he  lit  more  matches,  dropping  the  others  on 
the  floor,  where  they  spluttered  in  the  wet  and  fizzled 
out. 

It  was  a  man,  could  be  nothing  else.  He  went 
toward  the  body,  for  such  he  supposed  it,  bent  down 
to  feel  it,  and  found  nothing.  This  was  strange. 
He  lit  more  matches.  Now  he  saw  space ;  there  was 
no  body  there.  He  stepped  back  several  paces,  as- 
tonished, lost  in  wonder;  then  he  saw  the  thing 
again,  saw  it  distinctly,  and  it  seemed  to  move.  It 
came  toward  him,  or  in  his  excited  state  of  mind 
he  fancied  so.  His  light  went  out;  he  had  no  more 
matches.  As  he  groped  his  way  to  the  steps,  or 
where  he  thought  they  were,  something  touched  him 
on  the  shoulder.  It  was  enough  to  startle  any  man, 
and  he  cried  out  in  alarm.  There  was  a  faint, 
squeaking  noise  and  a  fluttering,  then  the  thing 
touched  his  cheek  and  he  smelt  a  deathlike  odor. 
Thoroughly  alarmed  he  groped  out.  He  felt  the 
damp  wall;  he  had  lost  the  steps;  he  must  walk 
round,  feeling  until  he  came  to  them,  being  a  circular 
dungeon  he  must  come  to  them.  It  seemed  an 
interminable  time  before  he  came  to  the  opening  and 
began  to  scramble  up  on  his  hands  and  knees. 

Tom  Thrush  waited  in  the  boat.  He  thought 
him  a  long  time  gone  and  hoped  nothing  had  hap- 


INSIDE  THE  KEEP  127 

pened.  He  knew  it  was  a  queer  place  to  roam 
around.  He  whistled  for  company,  then  lit  his  pipe. 
Why  didn't  he  come  out  of  the  beastly  place? 
What  was  that  ?  It  sounded  like  a  startled  cry ;  it 
came  from  the  tower.  Tom  shivered.  He  wasn't 
going  in  there  to  look  for  Carl  Meason,  not  for  any 
money.  The  smoke  came  from  his  pipe  in  jerky 
whiffs. 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  step  out  of  the  boat,  go 
to  the  door  and  call.  Carl  Meason  came  out  with  a 
quick  movement.  Tom  stared  at  him  in  amazement, 
not  unmingled  with  fear. 

Meason  was  covered  in  dirt  and  damp  from  head 
to  foot,  there  was  blood  on  his  hands,  his  face  was 
blanched,  a  wild  look  in  his  eyes.  He  had  no  time 
to  pull  himself  together  before  Tom  saw  it.  His 
recovery  however  was  remarkably  quick  considering 
what  he  had  gone  through.  He  had  no  desire  to 
give  himself  away.  He  looked  at  his  clothes  and 
laughed.     In  the  open  again  his  courage  revived. 

"It's  the  dirtiest  damp  hole  I  ever  was  in!" 
he  said;  and  Tom  recognized  a  difference  in  his 
voice. 

"  Yer  all  over  filth,"  said  Tom.  "  Yer  hands  are 
bloody,  ye've  torn  yer  trousers.  Where' ve  yer 
been?     Have  yer  seen  anything?" 

"  Rotten  place,"  said  Carl.  "  If  I  were  Chesney 
I'd  blow  it  up." 


128  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Did  yer  see  anything?  "  persisted  Tom. 

"  What  the  deuce  is  there  to  see  except  bare  walls 
and  some  ancient  oak  furniture,  must  be  hundreds 
of  years  old." 

"It  is,"  said  Tom,  "more  —  hundreds  and  hun- 
dreds. You  looked  a  bit  scared  when  you  came 
out  —  white  as  a  sheet,  eyes  near  shooting  out  of 
yer  head.     Tell  me  what  yer  saw." 

"  Nothing,"  said  Carl.  "  The  place  gave  me  the 
horrors.  I  lost  myself  in  the  dungeon,  took  me  a 
long  time  to  find  the  steps  again,  that  gave  me  a 
shock,  I  had  no  matches  left." 

"  There's  folks  been  put  in  that  place  never  saw 
the  light  o'  day  again.  Do  you  believe  it's 
haunted?" 

Carl  made  no  reply  for  a  few  moments,  then 
said  : 

"  It  may  be;  I  shouldn't  be  surprised.  I'm  more 
inclined  to  believe  you  since  I've  been  inside." 

"  I  thought  as  how  you  would.  Seeing's  believ- 
ing," said  Tom. 

"  But  I  tell  you  I  did  not  see  anything.  I  heard 
sounds." 

"  Ah ! '  exclaimed  Tom.  "  What  like  were 
they?" 

"Groans!" 

"  It's  them  ye  heard,  the  spirits  of  the  dead;  the 
poor  devils  never  rest  in  peace,"  said  Tom. 


INSIDE  THE  KEEP  129 

They  were  going  across  the  moat.  There  was  a 
splash  and  both  started;  Tom  almost  dropped  the 
oar. 

"What's  that?"  he  said.  "Look!"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  ripples  in  the  dark  water  circling. 

"  A  fish  rising,"  said  Carl  with  a  queer  little 
laugh. 

"  There's  no  fish  in  here,  don't  believe  there's  even 
a  carp  in." 

Why  not?" 

What  'ud  fish  be  doing  in  this  beastly  hole?  '; 


a 
a 


"  Feeding." 

"  Nothing  to  feed  on." 


"  You  don't  know  what's  at  the  bottom  of  that," 
said  Carl,  pointing  downward. 

"And  I  don't  want  to.  If  it's  fish,  I'd  not  eat 
them,"  said  Tom. 

They  walked  back  to  the  keeper's  cottage.  Jane 
met  them  at  the  door,  surprised  to  see  the  state 
of  Carl's  clothes.  She  asked  where  he  had 
been. 

"  Exploring  the  moat  and  the  keep,"  he  replied, 
thinking  her  pretty  face  was  a  great  help  to  banish 
phantoms. 

Jane  laughed  as  she  said : 

"  You've  had  a  fright.  Keep  away  from  the 
place,  it's  haunted ;  there's  danger  when  you  meddle 
with  'em." 


130  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  I  saw  nothing  in  the  keep.     I  told  your  father 


so." 


Jane  shook  her  head  as  she  replied: 

"  Best  say  nothing  about  it;  keep  those  things  to 
yourself." 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  things  there?  "  asked  Carl. 

"  Telling's  knowing,"  said  Jane,  but  without 
smiling. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A   SUDDEN    PROPOSAL 

WAR  was  declared  against  Germany  on  that 
fateful  day  in  August;  the  blow  had  fallen 
at  last,  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  about  to 
measure  their  millions,  and  England  was  unpre- 
pared. There  was  no  doubt  about  the  strength  of 
feeling  in  Britain;  every  man  was  for  war,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  cranks  and  peacemongers,  many 
of  them  little  better  than  traitors  to  their  country. 

There  was  a  call  to  arms ;  it  echoed,  reverberated, 
throughout  the  land ;  and  never  was  such  a  voluntary 
response  by  any  nation.  There  is  little  need  to 
write  about  it;  everybody  knows  how  "  Kitchener's 
chaps  "  rolled  up  in  thousands,  to  their  everlasting 
honor.  By  their  response  they  showed  the  spirit  of 
the  nation,  roused  at  last  to  a  sense  of  horrible 
danger.  Throughout  the  land  there  were  martial 
sounds  —  the  hum  of  camps,  the  tramp  of  men,  the 
clang  of  horses'  hoofs,  the  rattle  of  war  department 
wagons.  Before  people  had  time  to  rub  their  eyes 
and  become  wide  awake,  an  army  had  landed  in 

131 


i32  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

France,  eager  to  help  gallant  little  Belgium,  and  stop 
the  rush  of  the  enemy's  vast  hordes. 

The  Sherwoods  were  mustered  in  Trent  Park. 
A  noble  array  they  made,  splendid  men,  well 
mounted  and  equipped,  eager  to  get  at  the  foe. 
Captain  Alan  Chesney  was  with  them,  his  house 
the  headquarters  of  the  regiment.  They  had  not 
to  wait  long;  they  were  in  luck's  way,  one  of  the 
first  cavalry  regiments  ordered  to  the  front. 

Alan,  busy  preparing  for  his  departure,  had  barely 
a  minute  to  spare,  but  he  made  time  to  call  on  a  few 
friends,  and  Eve  Berkeley  was  one  of  the  last.  He 
rode  to  The  Forest  in  uniform,  looking  every  inch 
a  soldier.  He  stood  in  the  room  waiting  for  her, 
his  fingers  drummed  impatiently  on  the  mantelpiece ; 
he  wanted  to  be  away,  the  fighting  spirit  of  the  sol- 
dier was  roused  again  when  he  put  on  khaki.  He 
longed  for  war  —  and  the  front. 

For  some  years  he  had  been  a  peace  soldier,  spend- 
ing money  freely,  having  plenty  of  spare  time, 
although  he  was  never  a  laggard  and  loved  the  drill 
and  discipline.  Now  it  was  different;  they  were 
off  to  the  front,  where  the  battle  already  raged 
furiously  and  danger  threatened  France,  as  in  the 
former  war  and  from  the  same  source,  with  many 
times  the  strength. 

Eve  came  in.  She  looked  at  her  best.  She  knew 
he  was   coming   and   had   been   thinking   of   him. 


A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL  133 

There  was  danger  ahead  for  the  man  she  loved;  it 
was  possible  she  might  not  see  him  again.  She  dare 
not  think  of  that,  it  was  terrible. 

He  turned  round  quickly  and  came  to  her,  taking 
both  her  hands.  Looking  into  her  eyes  he  could  not 
fail  to  see  the  light  in  them;  it  dazzled  but  did  not 
blind ;  it  opened  his  to  what  was  hidden  behind  the 
electric  flashes  in  hers.  For  a  few  moments  there 
was  silence.     Then  he  said: 

"  I  am  come  to  say  goodbye,  Eve,  my  old  play- 
mate, my  best  friend." 

His  voice  was  well  under  control,  no  tremor,  but 
it  vibrated  and  played  on  her  heart-strings.  She 
was  agitated ;  she  had  been  counting  on  this  parting, 
thinking  what  might  happen,  re-changing  many 
things. 

"  We  leave  to-morrow,  or  the  next  day.  I  go  to 
London  to-night.  I  cannot  tell  you  our  destination, 
but  I  can  guess  it." 

Still  she  did  not  speak,  and  he  went  on : 
"  We  shall  give  a  good  account  of  ourselves,  the 
Sherwoods.     Many  of  us  will  not  return,  but  some- 
thing tells  me  I  shall  come  through  it  all  and  live." 

"  How  I  shall  miss  you !  "  she  said.  "  It  will  be 
in  fear  and  trembling  I  open  the  paper  each  morning 
and  scan  the  lists.  But  you  are  doing  right ;  no  man 
can  hang  back  at  such  a  moment.  You  are  glad  to 
be  in  uniform  again?  " 


134  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Indeed  I  am.  I  feel  as  though  I  had  never  been 
out  of  it,"  he  answered. 

"  You  look  splendid,"  she  said. 

"  This  morning  you  are  at  your  best,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"  You  were  coming  to  see  me,  I  wanted  you  to 
carry  away  a  good  impression,"  she  said,  smiling. 

"  I  shall  often  think  of  you,  Eve,  and  your  many 
gracious  actions.  By  Jove,  you  are  a  brick  — 
there's  nobody  like  you,"  he  said  enthusiastically. 

She  was  pleased  and  showed  it. 

"  Have  you  forgotten  our  last  conversation?  "  he 
asked.     "  It  was  perilously  near  the  danger  zone." 

"  Why  call  it  a  danger  zone?  "  she  asked. 

"  Eve,  you  don't  mean  it?  "  he  asked. 

"Mean  what?" 

"  Oh,  you  know.  By  Jove,  I'll  risk  it,  although 
I  can't  imagine  such  good  fortune  falling  to  my 
lot." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  risk  ? "  she  asked, 
strangely  agitated. 

"Asking  you  to  be  my  wife  —  there  it's  out  — 
must  I  go?  "  he  said. 

"  Do  you  wish  to  go  ?  "  she  asked  archly. 

"No;  there." 

He  almost  lifted  her  off  her  feet  as  he  took  her 
to  him  and  kissed  her  many  times.     She  clung  to 


A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL  135 

him,  her  arms  round  his  neck,  her  head  resting  on 
his  breast ;  she  seemed  loath  to  let  him  go. 

"Alan,  oh  Alan,  it  seems  too  good  to  be  true! 
I  thought  you  were  never  going  to  ask  me.  I  am 
afraid  I  have  schemed  for  this.  Forgive  me,  I 
could  not  live  without  you,"  she  said,  and  again  he 
stopped  her  mouth  with  kisses. 

"  I  have  always  loved  you,  Eve.  When  you  were 
a  girl  you  were  different  from  anybody  else,  the  only 
girl  for  me.  You  have  not  answered  my  question  ?  " 
he  said. 

"  I  will  be  your  wife,  Alan;  it  has  been  the  dear- 
est wish  of  my  life.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  say  how 
much  I  love  you,"  she  said  softly. 

"  Never  be  afraid  of  that;  tell  me,  I  want  to  carry 
it  away  with  me." 

She  told  him,  and  his  body  flamed  in  response,  his 
heart  beat  fast.  It  was  the  most  thrilling  moment 
of  his  life;  she  buried  her  blushing  face  on  his 
shoulder  and  panted  for  very  joy. 

Alan  recognized  the  depth  of  her  love  and  won- 
dered at  it.  She  was  his,  part  of  him.  He  felt  it, 
henceforth  they  would  be  one.  When  he  was  away 
she  would  be  with  him  in  the  spirit.  He  was  loath 
to  part  from  her,  but  it  had  to  be.  Duty  called  and 
that  came  first.  He  waited  a  few  minutes  until  they 
were  calmer. 


136  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Marry  me  before  I  leave,"  he  said  impetuously. 

"  There  is  no  time,"  was  the  faint  reply.  "  You 
go  to-morrow." 

"  I  forgot;  no,  there  is  no  time.  It  is  not  fair  to 
ask  you.  Promise  me  if  I  come  home  for  a  day  or 
two  you  will  consent?" 

"  Readily,  Alan.  I  am  yours  when  you  wish  to 
take  me,"  she  answered. 

"  Supposing  we  do  not  leave  to-morrow,  supposing 
it  is  a  few  more  days,  that  there  is  time?  "  he  said, 
his  eyes  very  bright  and  eager. 

"If  there  is  time "  she  hesitated. 

"You  will?" 

"  Yes." 

This  was  too  much  for  him ;  he  was  overwhelmed 
at  his  happiness.  He  clasped  her  in  his  arms  again 
and  crushed  her  until  it  pained,  but  it  was  exquisite 
pain,  she  felt  safe  with  those  strong  arms  about 
her. 

"  I  feel  as  though  I  never  want  to  let  you  go 
again,"  he  said. 

She  laughed  happily. 

"If  there  is  time,  Alan,  we  can  be  quietly  mar- 
ried," she  said. 

"  I  shall  try  and  make  time.  I  must  run  no 
risks." 

"Risks  of  what?" 

"  Losing  you." 


A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL  137 

"  That  can  never  be  now.  You  will  not  lose  me. 
I  may  lose  you."  and  she  shivered. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  killed,  wounded  perhaps. 
What  if  I  come  home  minus  an  arm,  or  a  leg,  or 
with  a  mutilated  face?  You  might  wish  to  cry  off 
our  compact.  I  can't  risk  that,  Eve ;  I  want  to  make 
sure  of  you,"  he  said  earnestly. 

"  And  do  you  for  a  moment  suppose  that  would 
make  any  difference?"  she  asked. 

"  No,  I  don't,  although  I  said  as  much.  I  have 
great  faith  in  you." 

They  talked  over  the  future  for  a  long  time. 
When  he  rose  to  go,  he  said : 

"  Remember,  if  there  is  time  we  are  to  be  married 
before  I  leave  for  France." 

"  Yes ;  I  hope  there  will  be  time,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  You  would  make  a  charming  widow,"  he  said 
jokingly. 

"  Don't  say  such  horrible  things,"  she  replied. 

"  I  won't  offend  again.  There's  too  much  in  life 
to  even  hint  at  death,"  he  said. 

"  Let  me  know  if  I  can  see  you  in  London  before 
you  go  to-morrow  ?  "  she  said. 

"  I  will;  I'll  send  a  special  messenger." 

"  To  my  town  house.  I  shall  be  there.  I  will 
go  up  to-night  in  order  to  be  ready." 

"You're  the  best  of  women!"  he  said,  kissing 
her. 


138  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

He  was  gone.  She  sent  for  her  maid  and  gave 
orders  about  traveling  to  London  in  the  afternoon. 
How  happy  she  was !  Alan  had  asked  her  to  be  his 
wife  at  last !  She  had  waited  a  long  time ;  it  seemed 
almost  too  good  to  be  true.  She  wished  she  could 
be  married  before  he  went  away;  then  she  would 
be  quite  sure  of  him.  Now  he  was  gone  she  won- 
dered if  her  spell  over  him  would  ever  be  in  danger 
of  breaking.  She  blamed  herself  for  such  thoughts, 
but  they  would  intrude,  causing  little  pangs  of  un- 
easiness and  doubt  that  irritated  her. 

On  the  journey  to  London  she  was  filled  with 
hope  and  fears.  Their  marriage  would  settle  every- 
thing, give  her  the  right  to  look  after  Trent  Park 
and  all  belonging  to  it,  of  which  she  was  capable, 
and  knew  it.  There  would  be  much  to  do  in  his 
absence;  he  had  asked  her  before  and  she  consented, 
but  there  were  difficulties. 

There  were  several  stoppages  on  the  way;  inqui- 
ries elicited  the  information  that  traffic  was  con- 
gested owing  to  the  movements  of  troops.  Already 
war  made  a  difference;  what  would  it  be  in  the 
course  of  a  year? 

Alan  called  late  at  night.  There  was  no  chance 
of  a  marriage,  he  was  to  leave  in  the  morning.  He 
fretted  and  fumed  at  the  delay,  but  Eve  dispelled 
his  gloom  and  he  went  cheerfully  after  an  affec- 
tionate parting.     After  his  departure  she  sat  in  a 


A  SUDDEN  PROPOSAL  139 

disconsolate  mood  in  the  large  room,  longing  for 
company.  She  wondered  if  she  ought  to  make  their 
engagement  known.  He  had  said  nothing  about  it; 
perhaps  better  not  until  she  heard  from  him.  There 
was  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  he  loved  her,  that 
she  was  to  be  his  wife.  Even  this  did  not  dispel 
the  shadows ;  she  tried  to  convince  herself  all  would 
be  well  —  only  partially  succeeding. 

As  for  Alan,  in  the  rush  and  turmoil  of  depart- 
ure he  almost  forgot  the  question  of  an  immediate 
marriage.  It  could  not  take  place  yet,  so  why 
trouble  about  it?  Eve  was  his  and  he  was  satisfied. 
On  the  whole  he  considered  it  perhaps  as  well  they 
were  not  married.  There  was  no  telling  what  might 
happen  to  him  and  she  would  be  in  a  better  position 
if  he  succumbed  to  the  chances  of  war.  Not  that 
he  had  any  fears  on  that  score;  he  looked  forward 
to  the  coming  struggle  in  a  very  optimistic  mood. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
jane's  love  affair 

THE  battle  raged;  the  German  hordes  pushed 
forward;  the  great  retreat  began.  Paris 
seemed  about  to  fall  and  there  was  anxiety  in  the 
Allied  forces.  Prodigies  of  valor  were  chonicled 
in  a  few  lines  of  space;  the  British  army,  greatly 
outnumbered,  was  holding  the  enemy.  The  advance 
was  slow,  a  wonderful  retreat,  perhaps  the  most 
heroic  known  until  almost  equaled  by  the  Russians 
later  on. 

Then  came  the  news  that  the  enemy  was  checked, 
they  in  turn  were  driven  back  when  Paris  seemed 
within  their  grasp.  The  Germans  were  held  and  the 
situation  saved.  It  was  marvelous,  and  the  "  little 
army,"  under  Sir  John  French  was  covered  in  glory. 
Britain  thrilled  at  the  news  of  her  soldiers'  bravery. 
They  fought  as  of  old,  fought  as  at  Waterloo,  at 
Inkerman,  at  the  Alma,  and  Balaklava.  They  had 
not  degenerated,  the  same  spirit  animated  them ;  they 
knew  how  to  die,  and  how  to  win.     For  forty  years 

the  Germans  had  been  trained  for  war,  and  their 

140 


JANE'S  LOVE  AFFAIR  141 

masses  were  held  up  by  men  who  had  known  peace 
for  many  years. 

The  Sherwoods  had  their  chance  and  took  it. 
The  Uhlans  were  no  match  for  them;  they  were 
bowled  over  like  ninepins.  Men  and  horses  fell  in 
heaps  before  the  terrible  charge.  Captain  Chesney 
was  in  the  thick  of  it  all.  Rash,  brave,  knowing  no 
danger,  he  was  a  typical  cavalry  officer;  and  that 
master  of  cavalry  tactics.  Sir  John  French,  heard  of 
his  bravery  and  recognized  it.  After  their  first 
action  Alan  Chesney  was  the  idol  of  the  Sherwoods. 
The  men  followed  him  into  the  jaws  of  death  and 
cheered  as  he  led  them  on.  Nothing  could  stand 
before  them,  their  impetuosity  overcame  all  ob- 
stacles ;  they  lost  many  men  but  gained  imperishable 
renown. 

Eve  Berkeley  read  the  meager  accounts  of  the 
fighting  and  grew  impatient,  longing  for  more,  won- 
dering why  publicity  was  not  given  to  the  doings  of 
the  bravest  of  the  brave.  Alan's  name  cropped  up 
once  or  twice,  she  gathered  from  the  vague  lines 
that  he  had  done  wonders,  that  his  bravery  was  con- 
spicuous, that  his  men  loved  him,  and  she  was  proud 
of  him. 

Week  after  week  passed  and  she  only  had  one  or 
two  lines  from  him.  There  was  no  time  to  write 
long  letters,  she  must  wait  until  he  was  out  of  the 
saddle  for  an  hour  or  two.     She  knew  how  difficult 


142  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

it  must  be  to  write,  yet  longed  to  hear,  and  each 
morning  looked  for  a  letter.  When  it  did  not  come 
she  scanned  the  papers  in  fear  and  trembling.  She 
little  knew  the  narrow  escapes  he  had  already  experi- 
enced, and  he  came  out  of  terrible  frays  with  hardly 
a  scratch.  When  horses  were  shot  under  him  a 
trooper  was  always  ready  with  another  for  him  with 
a  "  take  mine,  sir."  Alan  reveled  in  the  fury  of 
the  charge;  his  whole  body  thrilled  as  he  galloped 
down  on  the  Uhlans  at  headlong  speed.  This  was 
soldiering  indeed;  no  playing;  deadly,  grim  earnest, 
a  toss-up  for  life  or  death.  He  grieved  at  the  loss 
of  men,  but  the  fewer  in  number  the  more  they 
were  united  and  proved  irresistible.  During  the 
retreat  they  were  here  and  there  and  everywhere, 
scouting,  thwarting  the  enemy,  breaking  up  his  plans, 
a  thorn  in  his  side  pricking  deep.  Seldom  out  of 
the  saddle,  he  had  little  time  to  think  of  home  and 
Eve  Berkeley. 

At  Trent  Park  things  went  on  much  as  usual. 
Eve  went  over  occasionally;  her  visits  were  in  no 
wray  resented,  everything  was  made  smooth  for  her. 

At  the  stud  she  was  always  welcome.  Sam 
Kerridge  appreciated  her  at  her  full  worth ;  said  she 
knew  more  about  horses  than  half  the  men  he  met, 
that  she  had  an  eye  for  a  good  'un,  and  could  fault 
the  inferior  sort. 

"  Blest  if  I  couldn't  leave  her  in  charge  for  a 


JANE'S  LOVE  AFFAIR  143 

month  without  the  slightest  fear  of  anything  going 
wrong/'  he  said. 

Alfonso  had  taken  the  place  of  Mameluke,  and 
there  seemed  every  chance  of  his  being  as  popular 
with  owners  of  mares,  but  the  shadow  of  war  over 
the  land  was  likely  to  have  some  effect  on  the  big 
studs.  Already  there  was  talk  of  cutting  down  ex- 
penses and  selling  off. 

Carl  Meason  still  had  his  rooms  at  the  Sherwood 
Inn  and  Abel  Head  wondered  if  he  were  right  in 
his  surmise  that  he  was  a  spy.  He  argued  that  a 
spy  would  hardly  bury  himself  at  Little  Trent  in 
war  time;  still,  there  was  no  telling.  Meason  went 
out  in  his  motor  at  night  more  than  usual ;  moreover 
he  carried  a  very  powerful  light  and  there  was  an 
unusually  strong  one  inside  the  car. 

"  What's  this  for?  "  asked  Abel  as  he  examined  it. 

"  The  police  are  very  particular  about  lights,  so 
I've  got  this  ready  in  case  one  of  the  others  goes 
out,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Must  give  a  powerful  glare,"  commented  Abel. 

"  It  does.  Nothing  like  seeing  far  enough 
ahead,"  said  Carl. 

Abel  was  not  satisfied.  He  had  never  seen  such 
big  lamps  inside  a  car  before  and  he  did  not  believe 
Meason's  reason  for  having  it.  Although  he  had 
plenty  on  hand  Carl  Meason  found  time  to  meet  Jane 
Thrush.     After  much  persuasion  he  induced  her  to 


144  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

go  in  his  car  to  Nottingham  to  see  the  sights,  and 
strange  to  say  Tom  raised  no  objections.  Thrush 
seemed  favorably  impressed  with  Meason ;  no  doubt 
an  occasional  fiver  helped  in  this  direction,  for  Tom 
was  fond  of  money. 

"Where's  the  harm?"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Jane's  a  clever  girl,  knows  more  than  the  ordinary, 
and  she's  good  enough  for  any  man.  He  seems 
sweet  on  her.  No  reason  why  he  should  not  marry 
her.  There's  money,  not  a  doubt  or  he  couldn't 
sling  fivers  about  like  he  does." 

All  the  same  he  questioned  Jane  closely  after  her 
return  from  Nottingham;  but  she  was  reticent. 
Not  given  to  talking  much  himself  he  did  not  pay 
so  much  notice  to  this  as  he  might  otherwise  have 
done. 

Carl  Meason  was  a  man  to  attract  a  girl  like 
Jane  Thrush.  He  could  be  agreeable  when  he 
chose ;  his  face  concealed  his  real  feelings  —  it  was 
a  mask  and  effectually  changed  the  man  to  outward 
appearances.  Meason  was  making  the  mistake  of 
his  life.  He  was  fast  becoming  infatuated  with 
Jane  Thrush,  subordinating  certain  objects  to  her, 
spending  time  in  her  company.  The  work  he  had  in 
hand  brooked  no  interference.  It  was  sufficiently 
dangerous;  there  must  be  no  leakage.  Not  a  hint 
or  a  whisper  must  get  about  or  he  would  be  in  grave 
danger  on  both  sides.     His  employers  wrere  ruthless, 


JANE'S  LOVE  AFFAIR  145 

and  the  authorities  in  England  would  not  be  likely  to 
spare  even  his  life  if  they  got  wind  of  his  purpose 
and  how  he  was  working. 

Jane  Thrush  held  him  in  the  hollow  of  her  hand 
did  she  but  know  it.  At  present  she  was  too  inno- 
cent to  suspect  his  real  nature  and  she  never  dreamed 
what  he  was  about.  She  would  not  have  understood 
his  affairs  had  they  been  explained  to  her.  Jane 
merely  saw  in  him  a  well-to-do  man,  who  talked  to 
her  with  respect,  and  was  evidently  more  than  half 
in  love  with  her.  She  was  not  conceited  although 
she  had  a  proper  sense  of  her  importance  and  good 
looks,  which  was  fostered  by  her  father. 

During  the  drive  to  Nottingham  and  back  Carl 
Meason  made  love  to  her  in  ardent  fashion  and  she 
had  not  repulsed  him  although  she  was  careful  to 
keep  him  within  bounds.  One  thing  Tom  Thrush 
had  effectually  taught  his  daughter  and  that  was  the 
perils  to  which  pretty  girls  are  exposed.  He  had 
made  no  bones  about  it,  spoke  out  plainly,  and  Jane 
learned  the  lesson  well. 

'  Her's  got  no  mother,"  Tom  said  to  himself, 
"  and  it's  my  place  to  warn  her.  She'd  best  know 
what's  what  and  then  she  can't  stumble  with  her 
eyes  open,"  and  in  his  rough  way  he  saw  farther 
than  people  who  avoided  responsibilities  in  this 
direction. 

Jane  was  therefore  well  armed  against  the  wiles 


146  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

of  unprincipled  men,  although  it  had  hitherto  been 
her  good  fortune  not  to  encounter  any.  There  had 
been  kisses  and  embraces  and  Jane  accepted  them 
without  much  enthusiasm  or  response.  Carl  Mea- 
son's  lovemaking  left  her  cold ;  somehow  she  hardly 
thought  it  real.  She  did  not  tell  Tom  of  these  em- 
braces and  he  forebore  to  push  inquiries.  His  occu- 
pation made  him  suspicious  and  watchful;  he  was 
the  terror  of  poachers  and  evil-doers  among  the 
game,  and  had  tracked  many  notorious  men  down. 
Although  he  loved  money  he  surmised  that  Carl 
Meason's  occasional  fivers  were  not  given  for 
nothing,  they  were  to  smooth  the  way  for  Jane's 
favor. 

If  the  man  meant  well  by  his  daughter  there  was 
no  harm  done;  if  ill,  then  he  would  settle  with  him 
in  a  way  that  would  astonish  before  any  damage  was 
done. 

Carl  Meason  quickly  discovered  he  would  have 
to  play  straight  with  Jane  Thrush,  also  her  father, 
and  for  once  in  a  way  he  was  inclined  to  do  this;  it 
was  after  all  the  easiest  to  get  what  he  wanted. 

So  far  he  had  never  given  much  thought  to 
taking  a  wife,  but  when  he  considered  everything, 
turning  the  pros  and  cons  over,  he  came  to  the  con- 
clusion Jane  Thrush  was  worth  some  sort  of  sacri- 
fice. He  would  not  surrender  any  of  his  liberty, 
once  she  was  his  he  would  mold  her  to  his  will;  he 


JANE'S  LOVE  AFFAIR  147 

fancied  this  would  be  easy  —  he  was  mistaken,  as 
better  men  have  been. 

It  was  a  relief  from  his  work  to  talk  and  make 
love  to  Jane,  also  to  think  about  her  at  night  when 
touring  round  the  country  in  his  motor.  There 
were  other  things  to  think  about,  and  sometimes  he 
dreaded  what  might  happen  when  the  time  came  for 
the  devilish  engines  of  destruction  to  work.  Carl 
valued  human  life  little,  except  in  the  care  of  his 
own  body,  and  had  been  instrumental  in  sending 
many  to  death.  He  knew  there  were  thousands  of 
Germans  in  the  country;  they  had  been  spying  out 
the  land  for  years,  and  he  wondered  at  the  supineness 
of  the  authorities  in  allowing  it.  He  cared  little 
who  won  the  war  so  long  as  he  reaped  his  reward. 
He  would  have  been  willing  to  accept  pay  from  both 
sides  had  it  been  feasible. 

If  he  had  a  better  side  to  his  nature  Jane  Thrush 
seemed  likely  to  find  it,  but  even  she  would  have  to 
walk  warily  if  in  his  power.  Jane's  pretty  face 
had  won  a  sort  of  victory  over  him ;  he  acknowl- 
edged his  submission  with  a  wry  grimace,  thinking 
she  would  be  called  upon  to  submit  in  her  turn. 

Meanwhile  Jane  hesitated  as  to  what  she  would 
do  if  he  asked  her  to  be  his  wife,  as  she  believed 
he  would.  To  solve  her  doubts,  she  asked  her 
father.  Tom  eyed  her  curiously;  he  was  sleepy  and 
barely  grasped  her  question. 


148  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  What  did  yer  say,  lass?  "  he  asked. 

"If  Mr.  Meason  asks  me  to  be  his  wife  what 
answer  shall  I  give  him  ?  " 

Tom  was  awake  now.     This  was  important. 

"  He'll  ask,  you  reckon?  " 

"  I  believe  he  will." 

"  Then  please  yourself,  lass.  He's  a  well-favored 
man,  seems  well  off,  he'd  make  a  good  husband," 
said  Tom. 

"  Perhaps  he  would,"  said  Jane  doubtfully. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    LAY    OF    THE    LAND 

ACE  meetings  gradually  dropped  out,  they 
were  few  and  far  between;  there  was  more 
important  business  on  hand. 

Fred  Skane  had  sole  control  of  Alan  Chesney's 
horses  during  his  absence  and  picked  up  a  race  or 
two  to  meet  expenses.  Alan  had  given  no  instruc- 
tions to  sell  any  of  his  horses,  but  Fred  used  his 
judgment  and  let  three  or  four  go  in  selling  races. 
Alan  impressed  upon  him  to  prepare  a  couple  of 
horses  to  match  against  Bernard  Hallam's  Rain- 
storm and  Southerly  Buster,  for  he  was  anxious 
to  demonstrate  the  superiority  of  the  English 
horses. 

Mr.  Hallam  brought  his  trainer  from  Australia, 
and  Jack  Wrench  —  his  name  —  was  granted  per- 
mission to  train  at  Newmarket.  It  was  not  long 
before  two  sterling  good  horses,  Catspaw  and  Bell- 
ringer,  four  and  five  years  old  respectively,  were 
purchased  to  lead  the  Australians  in  their  work. 
Both  horses  had  won  good  handicaps  and  came  into 
the  market  on  the  departure  of  their  owner  for  the 

149 


150  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

front.  Mr.  Hallam  paid  a  stiff  price  for  them,  but 
Jack  Wrench  had  been  advised  they  were  worth  it. 
The  Australian  trainer  was  anxious  to  prove  that 
Rainstorm  and  Southerly  Buster  were  equal  to  the 
best  handicap  horses  in  England. 

It  soon  got  about  in  racing  circles  that  there  was 
likely  to  be  a  match  between  horses  of  Alan 
Chesney  and  those  of  Bernard  Hallam.  This 
news  spread  far  and  wide,  and  the  Australians  in 
the  fighting  line  were  as  eager  about  it  as  anybody. 
The  Anzacs  had  a  terrible  time  in  Gallipoli,  and 
the  Dardanelles  generally,  but  they  were  always 
eager  to  discuss  sport  when  the  Turks  gave  them  a 
rest  for  a  few  hours. 

Time  passed  quickly,  and  already  the  death  roll 
on  both  sides  was  terrible.  Still  Alan  escaped  un- 
hurt, and  Eve  expected  him  home  on  short  leave; 
his  latest  letter,  however,  gave  no  hope  of  this  for 
some  time,  but  he  said  he  would  make  an  effort 
later  on  when  his  horses  were  fit  to  run.  He  fixed 
up  a  match  with  Mr.  Hallam  for  a  thousand  a  side 
between  The  Duke  and  Southerly  Buster,  and  Band- 
master and  Rainstorm,  the  distances  a  mile  and  two 
miles.  The  Hunt  Cup  winner  developed  into  a 
great  stayer,  and  as  he  had  a  wonderful  turn  of 
speed  he  was  sanguine  of  beating  Rainstorm. 

So  many  race  meetings  were  abandoned  that  the 
Newmarket  programs  were  extended  to  take  their 


THE  LAY  OF  THE  LAND         151 

place  in  some  measure,  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
turf  became  very  busy.  Racing  men  were  thankful 
for  small  mercies;  the  extra  meetings  were  well 
attended  and  big  fields  turned  out  for  the  events. 

Mr.  Hallam  was  often  at  Newmarket,  taking 
great  interest  in  the  work  of  his  horses,  and  Wrench 
gave  him  encouraging  accounts  of  their  progress. 
Both  horses  came  well  out  of  their  gallops  with 
Catspaw  and  Bellringer,  and  the  local  touts  were 
much  impressed  with  them. 

Rainstorm  was  voted  a  beauty;  the  Australian 
horse  became  popular  and  his  portrait  appeared  in 
several  papers,  together  with  interviews  with  Ber- 
nard Hallam. 

Ella  Hallam  spent  much  of  her  time  at  The  Forest 
with  Eve  Berkeley  and  they  were  firm  friends. 
Ella  knew  of  Eve's  engagement  to  Alan  and  heart- 
ily congratulated  her.  Whatever  she  might  have 
thought  about  Alan's  attentions  to  herself  she  never 
for  a  moment  doubted  his  inclinations  were  toward 
Eve;  being  a  loyal-hearted  woman  she  accepted  the 
situation. 

Fred  Skane  came  to  Trent  Park  to  see  Sam 
Kerridge.     They  were  cronies,  had  been  for  years. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  win  both  matches,"  said  Sam. 

"  Pretty  sure  of  it.  Bandmaster  will  beat  Rain- 
storm anyhow  whichever  way  the  other  goes," 
answered  Fred. 


152  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Queer  Bandmaster  should  turn  out  a  stayer," 
said  Sam. 

"  He's  bred  to  stay,"  replied  Fred. 

"  But  he's  a  Hunt  Cup  winner  and  I'd  hardly  have 
expected  him  to  be  up  to  two  miles." 

"  Well  he  is  —  no  mistake  about  it.  I've  tried 
him  and  I  know,"  said  the  trainer. 

"  And  you  don't  often  make  mistakes,  Fred." 

"  I'm  just  as  liable  to  be  mistaken  as  other  men, 
but  when  I've  something  to  go  upon  I'm  not  far 
out,"  replied  the  trainer. 

"Awful  job,  this  war,"  growled  Sam;  "upsets 
everything.  I've  lost  four  of  my  best  men,  and 
some  of  the  others  want  to  join  up." 

"  Can't  wonder  at  it.  We'll  need  every  man  we 
have  to  win  outright." 

"  Suppose  we  shall,"  said  Sam.  "  All  the  same 
it's  hard  lines  on  a  chap  when  he's  used  to  the  men 
and  they're  used  to  him." 

In  the  evening  they  walked  to  Little  Trent  and 
went  into  the  Sherwood  Inn  for  a  chat  with  Abel 
Head,  who  gave  them  a  cordial  welcome.  They 
were  favorites,  and  he  liked  a  talk  about  racing. 
While  they  were  chatting,  a  motor  horn  was  heard 
and  Abel  said : 

"  That's  Meason  coming  back.  He's  earlier  than 
usual." 

The  trainer  and  Sam  had  heard  of  Carl  Meason 


THE  LAY  OF  THE  LAND         153 

and    were    aware    of    Abel's    opinion    about   him. 

"  He's  making  a  long  stay  with  you,"  said  Fred. 

"  I'm  about  tired  of  him,  although  I'll  not  deny 
he's  a  good  customer  and  pays  his  way,"  said  Abel. 

Carl  Meason  looked  into  the  snuggery  as  he  was 
passing  the  door. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Sam.  "  You  may  as  well  join 
us." 

Carl  entered,  took  off  his  coat,  and  sat  down. 

"  When's  the  great  match  to  come  off?  "  he  asked. 
He  was  always  posted  up  on  racing ;  he  liked  a  flut- 
ter and  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  getting  a  useful 
hint. 

"  Hardly  know  yet,"  said  Fred.  "  I  expect  we'll 
have  to  wait  until  Mr.  Chesney  gets  leave.  He'll 
want  to  see  both  races  run." 

"  And  I  suppose  his  horses  will  win  both 
matches  ?  "  said  Carl. 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  the  trainer. 

"  You're  not  certain  ?  " 

"  One  can  never  be  sure  where  racing  is  con- 
cerned," said  Fred. 

Carl  laughed. 

"  Then  what  about  these  big  coups  that  come  off  ? 
They're  pretty  sure  about  them." 

"Of  course  there  are  real  good  things,  but  even 
they  are  bowled  over,"  said  Fred. 

"  Clever  men,  you  trainers,"  said  Carl. 


154  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Some  of  them,"  said  Sam,  with  a  wink  at  Abel. 

"  No  doubt  about  Mr.  Skane's  being  one  of  the 
clever  men,"  said  Carl. 

"  Don't  know  so  much  about  that ;  I've  been  done 
more  than  once,"  said  Fred. 

"  Shouldn't  have  thought  it,"  said  Carl.  "  The 
man  who  did  you  must  have  got  up  very  early  in  the 
morning." 

"  Going  out  to-night  again?  "  asked  Abel. 

"Yes,  walking;  I  have  a  little  business  on  hand 
that  concerns  my  happiness,"  said  Carl. 

"  Sounds  a  bit  like  courting,"  said  Sam. 

"  You're  not  far  out,"  was  Carl's  reply.  "  I'm 
thinking  of  getting  married,"  he  added  as  he  left  the 
room. 

"  Who's  the  girl  ?  "  asked  Sam. 

"  Can't  say  for  certain.  He's  been  thick  with 
Jane  Thrush  for  a  long  time;  they  go  out  together. 
She's  been  in  his  motor  to  Nottingham.  Can't 
think  what  Tom's  about  to  allow  it." 

"  He'd  be  a  good  match  for  her,  eh  ? ''  asked 
Fred. 

"  I'm  none  so  sure  about  that.  What  do  you  say, 
Sam?"  asked  Abel. 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  the  man.  Jane's  a 
very  pretty  girl ;  she's  quite  good  enough  for  him," 
said  Sam. 


THE  LAY  OF  THE  LAND         155 

"  I  wish  I  could  fathom  him,"  said  Abel.  "  He's 
mysterious;  them  roads  and  maps  is  all  a  blind,  I 
feel  sure." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  "  asked  Sam. 

"  Nothing  in  particular.  He  keeps  on  tracing  and 
tracking,  and  marking  out  spots  in  red  ink,  but  I 
can't  make  head  or  tail  of  'em,"  said  Abel. 

"Leaves  them  about,  does  he?"  asked  the 
trainer. 

"  Sometimes." 

"  There  can't  be  much  harm  in  what  he's  doing," 
said  Fred. 

Abel  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"  If  he  hadn't  been  here  before  the  war  began  I'd 
have  him  put  down  as  a  spy  —  I'm  not  quite  sure 
he  isn't." 

"  Spying  what?  "  asked  Sam. 

"  The  lay  of  the  land,"  replied  Abel. 

"What  for?  How  will  that  help?  You  don't 
think  the  Germans  will  come  inside  England?" 
laughed  Fred. 

"  Not  by  land.  They  may  come  overhead  and 
do  some  damage.  What  about  these  Zepplins 
they've  been  building  for  a  long  time?  "  said  Abel. 

The  trainer  laughed ;  so  did  Sam  Kerridge. 

"  You  can  laugh,"  said  Abel,  "  but  it's  my  belief 
they'll  do  some  damage  with  'em  before  long." 


156  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  And  you  imagine  Meason  is  planning  out  routes    . 
for  them  —  is  that  it?  "  asked  the  trainer. 

"  Something  of  the  sort.  Wouldn't  put  it  past 
him,"  said  Abel. 

"  I  can't  agree  with  you.  If  he  were  doing  that 
he  wouldn't  leave  his  work  about,"  said  Sam. 

"  He  leaves  about  what  he  likes.  I'll  bet  he  has 
some  things  he  would  not  like  to  be  seen,"  said 
Abel. 

"  It's  a  dangerous  thing  to  be  a  spy,"  said 
Sam ;  "  and  I  don't  think  he  looks  like  one. 
He'd  have  no  time  for  courting  if  he'd  a  job  like 
that." 

"  For  two  pins  I'd  give  information  against  him," 
said  Abel.  "  If  I  get  half  a  chance,  and  enough 
evidence  to  go  on  I'll  do  it." 

"  It  is  a  serious  charge  to  make,"  said  Sam,  and 
the  trainer  agreed. 

As  they  walked  home  they  continued  the  con- 
versation, and  Sam  gave  Fred  to  understand  there 
was  something  suspicious  about  Carl  Meason's 
movements. 

"  But  it  doesn't  look  much  like  spying.  He's 
after  Jane  Thrush  and  means  matrimony  —  he'd 
have  no  time  on  his  hands  for  that,"  said  Sam. 

Carl  Meason  left  the  Inn  and  walked  to  the 
keeper's  cottage.  He  saw  him  leave,  gun  under 
arm,  and  as  he  wanted  the  coast  clear  it  suited  his 


THE  LAY  OF  THE  LAND         157 

purpose.  Jane  opened  the  door  when  he  tapped  — 
she  had  come  to  know  the  sound. 

"  Father's  gone  out,"  she  said. 

"  I  saw  him.  I  am  glad ;  I  want  a  few  words 
with  you  alone,"  he  replied.  "  I  am  going  away 
for  a  time  on  business  and  I  want  you  to  go  with 
me.     I  shall  be  lost  without  you." 

''  I  cannot  go  away  with  you ;  you  know  that," 
she  answered. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  can  —  as  my  wife?  "  he  said. 

So  he  did  wish  to  marry  her.  She  was  grati- 
fied. She  had  thought  of  late  such  was  not  his 
intention. 

"  You'll  marry  me?  "  she  asked. 

"  That's  what  I've  come  for  to-night,  to  ask  you 
to  be  my  wife." 

She  was  silent.  It  was  an  important  step  to  take. 
She  liked  him,  but  she  was  not  sure  she  loved  him, 
and  she  was  a  little  afraid  of  him.  She  had  caught 
glimpses  of  the  brute  in  him  once  or  twice;  it  re- 
volted her. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  she  asked. 

'  To  the  sea.  We  can  spend  our  honeymoon 
there." 

"Where?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  until  we  are  on  the  way.  I 
want  nobody  round  here  to  know  my  whereabouts," 
he  said. 


158  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  And  you  wish  me  to  go  with  you  as  your 
wife?" 

"  Yes." 

"  When  do  you  start?  " 

"  In  a  week  or  so." 

"  Then  I  will  give  you  my  answer  in  a  day  or 
two,"  she  said  quietly. 

He  remained  late,  trying  to  persuade  her  to  say 
she  would  be  his  wife.  He  had  to  leave  without 
being  satisfied,  and  he  was  annoyed. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
tom's  weakness 

THEN  he's  come  to  the  scratch !     I  thought  he 
would.     You're  a  clever  lass,  Jane,"  said  her 
father. 

"  Nothing  clever  about  it.     I  haven't  given  him 
much  encouragement,"  she  said. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  That's  for  you  to  decide." 

"  It  concerns  you  more  than  me.     Do  you  love 
him?" 

"  I'm  not  sure." 

"  Eh !     Not  sure  —  you've  had  time  enough." 

"  He's  difficult  to  understand,"  said  Jane. 

"  In  what  way  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  I   can   hardly   say ;   it's   hard  to   explain.     He 
seems  fond  of  me ;  he  might  make  a  good  husband." 

"  What's  amiss  with  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing;  but  sometimes  he  frightens  me," 
she  said. 

"  Good  Lord,  how?  "  exclaimed  Tom. 

"  He's  fierce  at  times  —  he's  terribly  determined 
even  when  he's  making  love." 

"  That  proves  he's  in  earnest." 

159 


i6o  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Perhaps  so ;  it  shows  he  wants  me,  anyhow." 

"  That's  in  his  favor.  He's  offered  marriage,  so 
he  means  right  by  you." 

"  It's  his  only  chance,"  she  replied. 

Tom  thought  there  was  a  good  deal  of  common- 
sense  in  her ;  he  put  it  down  to  his  credit  that  he 
had  brought  her  up  well,  opened  her  eyes. 

"  He  must  have  money.  Perhaps  I'd  better  have 
a  talk  with  him." 

"What  about?" 

"  He  ought  to  settle  a  sum  on  you,"  said  Tom 

cautiously. 

Jane  smiled  as  she  thought :  "  You  want  money 
out  of  him,  but  you  mean  well." 

"  Men  with  cash  generally  give  their  wives  a  bit 
down,"  said  Tom. 

"If  he  did  that,  wouldn't  it  be  rather  like  buying 
me  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Lord,  no !  Rich  folk  do  it,  the  swells.  Why 
shouldn't  he?" 

"  He's  not  what  I'd  call  a  swell  —  real  gentleman 
—  not  like  Mr.  Chesney,"  said  Jane. 

"  That's  different ;  there's  not  many  men  like 
him." 

"  No,  that's  true,"  said  Jane  with  a  sigh. 

"  I'll  put  a  few  questions  to  him,"  said  Tom. 
"  Wonder  what  his  business  is?  " 

"  Surveyor ;  he  says  so." 


TOM'S  WEAKNESS  161 

"  Can't  make  it  out  why  he  hangs  about  here  so 
long  without  it's  for  your  sake,  lass." 

"  Perhaps  that  has  something  to  do  with  it." 

"  Must  have,"  said  Tom. 

He  waited  to  see  Carl  Meason,  who  came  the 
next  morning,  eager  to  have  Jane's  answer.  He 
had  a  long  talk  with  Tom  Thrush;  they  went  for 
a  walk;  Carl  returned  alone.  He  at  once  put  the 
question  to  Jane,  saying  he  had  her  father's  con- 
sent. She  made  up  her  mind  quickly.  It  was  a 
chance  she  must  not  let  slip  —  there  were  no  eligi- 
ble suitors  in  the  neighborhood. 

"  I  will  marry  you,  Carl,"  she  said.  "  You  must 
be  very  good  and  kind  to  me." 

He  drew  her  to  him,  and  kissed  her  passionately, 
vowing  he  would  do  everything  possible  to  make 
her  happy.  He  would  have  promised  anything  to 
gain  his  own  ends. 

"  I  want  to  be  married  in  Little  Trent  Church," 
she  said. 

"  I'll  get  a  special  license,"  he  replied.  "  We've 
no  time  to  wait." 

"  You're  in  a  hurry  to  be  off,"  said  Jane. 

"  Business,  my  dear.  I'd  not  have  stayed  so 
long  at  the  Sherwood  Inn  if  it  hadn't  been  for  you." 

"  You  do  love  me  —  it's  not  make-believe?  ,: 

"  Is  that  make-believe,"  he  said,  crushing  her  in 
his  arms,  kissing  her  many  times.     She  recognized 


162  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

it  was  anything  but  make-believe;  he  wanted  her 
badly,  he  must  love  her. 

"  Let  me  go,"  she  said,  panting. 

"  You  believe  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  believe  you." 

"  And  you  love  me?  " 

"  Yes." 

He  crushed  her  again,  then  reluctantly  let  her 
go  and  stood  looking  at  her. 

"  I've  seen  the  parson,"  he  said.  "  He's  a  queer 
old  fellow ;  said  he  must  see  your  father  about  it  — 
and  you." 

"  That's  quite  right.  We  sort  of  belong  to  him ; 
he's  our  guide.     I  go  to  church." 

"  I  told  him  he'd  have  no  difficulty  with  you,  or 
your  father,  that  you'd  both  consent,"  he  said. 

"But  you  didn't  know  we  would!"  she  remon- 
strated. 

"  I  was  sure  of  it,"  said  Carl. 

When  he  left,  Jane  wondered  if  he  had  promised 
or  given  her  father  any  money;  she  half  suspected 
there  had  been  some  bargaining  and  resented  the 
thought.  She  knew  her  father  loved  her  dearly, 
but  he  also  loved  money  and  would  go  far  to  get  it. 

Tom  Thrush  came  home,  putting  a  bold  face  on, 
but  looked  rather  sheepish. 

"  It's  settled ;  I've  taken  him.     We're  to  be  mar- 


TOM'S  WEAKNESS  163 

ried  in  Little  Trent  Church.  Parson's  coming  to 
see  us  about  it,"  she  said. 

"Drat  him,  what's  he  coming  for?"  said  Tom 
irritably. 

"  Carl  says  we're  to  be  married  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble by  special  license.  I  suppose  that's  what  he's 
coming  about,"  replied  Jane. 

"  He's  in  a  hurry." 

"  We're  going  to  the  sea  —  for  the  honeymoon," 
said  Jane,  blushing  prettily. 

"  She's  a  beauty,"  thought  Tom.  "  I  wonder  if 
she  could  have  done  better  for  herself?  "  He  was 
seldom  satisfied  with  anything. 

"Where  to,  what  seaside?"  he  asked. 

"  He  said  he  could  not  tell  me  before  we  left. 
He  didn't  want  the  people  about  here  to  know." 

"That's  queer.  Why  shouldn't  he?"  growled 
Tom. 

"  He's  good  reasons  for  it,  no  doubt,"  she  an- 
swered.    "  Was  anything  said  about  money?  ': 

Tom  shuffled  uneasily  in  his  chair. 

"  Well,  yes,  we  had  a  few  words  about  it." 

"  What  did  you  say  to  him?  " 

"  Told  him  it  was  usual  for  a  man  of  means  to 
settle  something  on  his  wife." 

"Well,  what  did  he  say?" 

"  Laughed ;  said  he  wasn't  exactly  a  rich  man 


164  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

but  he  could  afford  to  keep  a  wife  in  comfort. 
Then  he  offered  to  give  me  a  hundred  pounds  to 
put  by  for  you  in  case  anything  happened  to  him. 
He  said  it  would  do  for  a  bit  until  his  affairs  were 
settled.  I  said  it  wasn't  much.  We  argued  the 
thing  out.  He's  promised  two  hundred;  that's  not 
so  bad,"  said  Tom  in  a  hesitating  way. 

"  Did  he  give  you  the  money?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  he's  bringing  it  to-night." 

"  To  hand  it  to  me?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  said  I'd  best  keep  it  for  you  until  you  wanted 
it." 

Jane  smiled. 

"  You'll  be  sure  and  take  care  of  it,  Dad?  "  she 
said. 

"  Upon  my  soul  I  will.  You  know  I'm  a  careful 
man  with  money,  Jane,"  he  said  eagerly. 

"  I  shall  want  a  little  pocket  money  when  I  go 
away." 

"  He'll  give  you  some.  He's  sure  to  be  gen- 
erous." 

"  I  think  be  has  been  generous  in  giving  you  two 
hundred  pounds.  I  shall  not  ask  him  for  any. 
You  can  spare  some,"  said  Jane. 

"Of  course  it's  not  mine;  it's  yours,"  protested 
Tom.  "  But  where's  the  harm  in  getting  a  bit 
more?     He  knows  we're  not  well  off." 

She  shook  her  head. 


TOM'S  WEAKNESS  165 

"  No,"  she  said.  "  I  will  not  ask  him,  and  you 
must  not." 

"  Very  well,  my  lass.  Suppose  we  say  ten 
pounds." 

"  Not  enough ;  it  must  be  twenty  at  the  least." 

Tom  gave  in  at  once.  She  might  refuse  to  let 
him  hold  the  money  for  her ;  that  would  be  a  calam- 
ity. Jane  regarded  this  transaction  with  Carl  Mea- 
son  doubtfully.  It  was  too  much  like  bargaining 
for  her;  but  she  loved  her  father,  knew  his  weak- 
ness, and  forgave.  After  all,  the  money  was  hers, 
and  he  was  honest  and  would  not  touch  a  penny 
of  it;  he  merely  wanted  to  gloat  over  its  posses- 
sion. 

Carl  Meason  saw  Tom  Thrush  alone  and  handed 
over  the  two  hundred  pounds.  He  was  generally 
free  with  his  money,  and  well  supplied. 

"  Jane'll  have  to  go  to  Nottingham  to  buy  a  few 
things  before  she's  married,"  said  Tom,  feeling  his 
way.  He  had  promised  Jane  not  to  make  more 
demands  on  Carl,  but  this  did  not  include  broad 
hints. 

"  I'll  take  her  over,"  said  Carl. 

"  That's  all  right ;  I  can't  afford  to  give  her 
much,"  said  Tom. 

Carl  grinned,  rather  savagely,  inwardly  cursing 
Tom  for  a  greedy,  miserly  man.  Well,  he'd  have 
Jane  —  that  was  his  reward. 


166  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  I'll  see  to  it  my  wife  shall  have  all  she  wants," 
he  answered. 

"  You'll  not  find  her  extravagant ;  she's  been  well 
brought  up,"  said  Tom. 

"  Trust  her  father  for  that,"  said  Carl. 

Jane  went  to  Nottingham  with  Carl  Meason;  she 
found  him  liberal.  He  bought  her  expensive 
dresses  and  wraps;  she  began  to  have  a  sense  of 
importance. 

Tom  Thrush  was  surprised.  Jane  had  never 
seemed  quite  so  good-looking;  he  considered  Carl 
Meason  had  secured  a  valuable  prize. 

"  I'll  not  deny  he's  dealt  liberally  with  you,"  said 
Tom ;  "  but  you're  worth  it." 

Carl  Meason  was  satisfied  when  he  saw  Jane 
dressed  at  her  best.  She  was  even  prettier  than  he 
thought;  her  new  clothes  certainly  brought  out  her 
good  points  to  perfection.  The  scruples  of  the 
parson  were  overcome  after  he  had  talked  freely 
with  Tom  and  Jane.  He  had  doubts  about  the  wis- 
dom of  the  match,  but  kept  them  to  himself. 

They  were  married  in  Little  Trent  Church  and 
Eve  Berkeley  was  present.  She  had  been  much 
surprised  when  Jane  told  her  she  was  to  be  married 
to  Carl  Meason. 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  you  love  him,  Jane?  "  asked 
Eve. 

Jane    was    not    quite    sure,    and    said    so.     Eve 


TOM'S  WEAKNESS  167 

warned  her  she  was  about  to  try  a  dangerous  ex- 
periment, run  considerable  risk. 

"  I  am  very  fond  of  you,  Jane,  and  I  want  to  see 
you  happy,"  she  said.  "  Consider  it  well ;  there  is 
time  to  draw  back.  You  do  not  know  much  about 
Mr.  Meason  —  nobody  does ;  he  is  rather  mysteri- 
ous." 

After  this  interview  with  Eve  Berkeley,  Jane  had 
doubts  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  course  she  was  pur- 
suing; they  vanished  when  out  of  her  presence. 

There  were  several  villagers  in  the  church  and 
Jane's  appearance  created  a  mild  sensation.  She 
seemed  quite  the  lady,  exceedingly  pretty.  They 
had  hitherto  considered  her  as  one  of  themselves, 
now  she  looked  superior. 

Carl  Meason  was  proud  of  his  young  bride,  but 
he  wanted  her  all  to  himself,  and  after  a  brief  stay 
of  a  couple  of  hours  they  left  the  Sherwood  Inn  in 
his  motor  and  started  on  their  journey  amidst  the 
cheers  of  the  villagers.  Carl  had  taken  care  to 
leave  a  liberal  amount  of  money  with  Abel  Head 
for  the  villagers'  benefit ;  he  wished  to  create  a  good 
impression  and  succeeded  —  for  a  time. 

Tom  Thrush  made  the  most  of  his  hours  at  Sher- 
wood Inn.  He  was  a  temperate  man,  but  this  was  a 
special  occasion.  There  was  an  ample  supply  of 
liquor,  to  which  he  did  full  justice.  The  thought  of 
returning  to  his  cottage  and  finding  no  Jane  there 


168  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

made  him  feel  lonely  and  he  remained  at  the  Inn 
until  closing-time. 

Abel  Head  walked  some  of  the  way  with  him, 
and  as  they  were  about  to  part,  said : 

"  I  hope  Jane  will  be  happy.  She's  a  good  girl, 
far  too  good  for  Meason  I'm  thinking." 

"  Her'll  be  all  right,"  said  Tom.  "  The  man's 
behaved  well ;  he'll  be  proud  of  her,  you  see  if  he's 
not." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

HALF   A    HEAD 

THE  matches  were  to  take  place  at  Newmarket 
on  the  first  two  days.  They  had  been  ar- 
ranged so  that  Alan  Chesney  might  be  present ;  leave 
was  granted  for  five  days,  and  he  hurried  home 
from  the  front.  Since  the  desperate  cavalry  fight- 
ing with  the  Uhlans  he  had  been  promoted  to  the 
general  staff  in  a  special  capacity  kept  a  profound 
secret  to  all  except  those  immediately  concerned, 
and  had  already  done  excellent  service. 

He  arrived  at  Trent  Park  late  in  the  evening,  and 
at  once  went  to  The  Forest  where  Eve  Berkeley 
anxiously  awaited  him.  Bernard  Hallam  and  Ella 
were  there  but  discreetly  kept  out  of  the  way  until 
they  met.  Alan  was  bronzed  and  looked  fit;  Eve 
was  proud  of  him.  They  had  much  to  talk  over, 
and  for  an  hour  were  left  to  themselves.  No  men- 
tion was  made  of  their  marriage;  it  was  understood 
it  was  to  take  place  as  soon  as  possible. 

When  Bernard  Hallam  and  Alan  were  alone  the 

matches  between  their  horses  were  the  subject  of 

conversation. 

"  You've  not  seen  'em,"  said  Bernard,  alluding 

169 


i7o  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

to  Rainstorm  and  Southerly  Buster.  'You'll  be 
a  bit  surprised.  I  shall  give  you  a  good  run ;  it  will 
probably  result  in  winning  one  each." 

Alan  smiled;  he  had  frequently  heard  from  his 
trainer  and  was  confident  of  success. 

"  Skane  tells  me  your  horses  are  better  than  he 
expected,  but  he  thinks  I  shall  win,"  he  said. 

"  And  my  man  Wrench  says  I  shall,"  was  the 

reply. 

"  There's  a  lot  of  interest  in  them,  and  the  wager- 
ing will  be  close,"  said  Alan. 

"  The  odds  will  probably  be  on  your  horses ; 
that's  only  natural.  Would  you  care  to  have  a 
wager  as  well  as  the  stake?  " 

"  I'm  agreeable  if  you  wish,"  said  Alan. 

"  Then  suppose  we  say  an  even  five  hundred  on 
each  race?  "  said  Hallam. 

"  That  will  suit  me,"  was  Alan's  reply. 

Ella  greeted  Alan  without  any  embarrassment. 
She  had  at  first  been  touched  by  his  attention  to 
her,  but  directly  she  was  certain  he  and  Eve  were  in 
love  she  relinquished  any  hopes  she  might  have  had. 
Alan  did  not  conceal  his  pleasure  at  meeting  her, 
and  Eve  felt  a  slight  touch  of  jealousy  which  she 
quickly  banished  as  a  foolish  fancy.  They  were 
good  friends,  why  should  she  not  be  pleased  it  was 


so? 


They  went  to  Newmarket  by  motor  early  in  the 


HALF  A  HEAD  171 

morning  and  drove  direct  to  the  course.  Alan  was 
anxious  to  see  the  four  horses;  they  were  in  the 
paddock,  although  The  Duke  and  Southerly  Buster 
were  only  due  to  run  the  mile  that  day. 

The  Australians  attracted  a  crowd  and  pleased 
the  public ;  they  were  a  good-looking  pair,  Rain- 
storm being  the  favorite. 

Alan  was  much  impressed.  He  recognized  his 
horses  would  have  to  be  at  their  best  to  beat  them ; 
this  Fred  Skane  assured  him  was  the  case.  He 
went  to  look  at  The  Duke  and  Bandmaster,  and  his 
hopes  of  winning  rose.  They  were  in  splendid 
trim;  the  trainer  had  taken  a  lot  of  trouble  with 
them.  Eve  was  naturally  anxious  for  Alan  to  win. 
Ella  was  quite  convinced  her  father's  horses  would 
put  up  a  good  race ;  she  had  a  couple  of  small  wagers 
on  with  her  friends. 

Mr.  Hallam  found  no  difficulty  in  getting  odds  of 
six  to  four  against  Southerly  Buster  in  the  ring ;  the 
bookmakers  were  disposed  to  field  against  the  Aus- 
tralian representatives.  The  match  was  regarded 
as  an  important  event  and  placed  third  on  the  card. 
When  the  horses  came  out  there  was  much  cheering. 
It  was  a  sporting  affair  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
There  were  plenty  of  Australians  in  khaki,  eager 
to  show  their  faith  in  Southerly  Buster.  Many  of 
them  were  wounded,  some  known  to  Bernard  Hal- 
lam and  Ella. 


i72  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

The  course  was  the  straight  mile,  and  there  is  no 
better  galloping  ground.  Southerly  Buster  can- 
tered down  with  Bradley  in  the  saddle ;  the  Baron's 
jockey  fancied  his  mount,  he  had  ridden  him  in 
several  gallops.  Tommy  Colley  was,  as  usual,  on 
Alan's  horse.  It  seemed  an  equal  match  both  as 
regards  the  riders  and  horses.  Naturally  there  was 
prejudice  in  favor  of  The  Duke,  odds  of  five  to  four 
being  laid  on  him,  then  six  to  four  was  freely 
laid. 

"  Going  to  beat  you,  Ben,"  said  Tommy  at  the 
post. 

"  You  may,  but  you'll  not  find  it  easy;  mine's  a 
real  good  horse,"  was  the  reply. 

They  sprang  off  together,  at  top  speed  in  a  few 
strides,  and  it  was  evident  the  mile  would  be  covered 
in  fast  time.  Southerly  Buster  was  a  clinker  over 
the  distance,  holding  the  Australian  record  for  a 
mile,  a  generous  horse,  always  willing  to  do  his  best. 
The  Duke  had  a  temper,  but  Colley  knew  his  pecul- 
iarities and  humored  him.  The  horse  had  a  bad 
habit ;  getting  off  well,  he  generally  slackened  speed 
after  going  a  couple  of  furlongs.  He  did  so  on 
this  occasion  and  Southerly  Buster  gained  a  length 
or  more,  much  to  the  consternation  of  backers  of 
Alan's  horse.  At  the  end  of  four  furlongs  the  Aus- 
tralian had  increased  his  lead  and  still  The  Duke 
held  back.     Colley  was  anxious.     The  Duke  had  a 


HALF  A  HEAD  173 

tremendous  turn  of  speed,  but  nearly  three  lengths 
was  a  lot  to  make  up  in  half  a  mile. 

The  black,  orange  hoops  and  cap  were  conspicu- 
ous ;  Bernard  Hallam  fancied  they  would  be  as  suc- 
cessful here  as  in  Australia. 

Jack  Wrench  had  a  habit  of  giving  a  long  and 
prolonged  whoop  when  he  felt  sure  of  a  horse's 
victory.  He  proclaimed  his  confidence  in  South- 
erly Buster  in  a  manner  causing  people  near  to  laugh 
heartily.  Hallam  heard  the  well-known  cry  and  it 
increased  his  hopes  of  winning. 

Alan  was  disappointed  so  far  at  The  Duke's  form. 
He  knew  Colley  was  not  quite  as  good  as  Bradley 
in  a  match,  although  his  judgment  was  excellent, 
hardly  ever  at  fault. 

They  were  two  furlongs  from  the  winning-post 
and  Tommy  wondered  when  The  Duke  would  put 
on  full  pressure ;  it  was  high  time  if  he  were  to  win. 
He  dare  not  hit  him,  not  at  present;  a  few  strides 
from  the  post  it  was  generally  effective  because  The 
Duke  had  no  time  to  think  things  over  and  sulk. 
Just  as  Colley  was  beginning  to  despair  and  becom- 
ing desperate  he  felt  The  Duke  bound  under  him, 
and  in  a  few  seconds  the  whole  aspect  of  the  race 
changed.  So  sudden  was  the  move  that  Alan 
gasped.     Eve  clutched  his  arm  in  her  excitement. 

"  By  Jove,  he's  coming  and  no  mistake !  "  ex- 
claimed Alan. 


174  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Splendid!  "  said  Eve.  "  What  wonderful  speed 
—  but  will  he  catch  him  ?  " 

"  Whoop,  whoop,  whoop ! "  came  from  Jack 
Wrench  —  three  sharp,  piercing  cries ;  but  there 
seemed  to  be  a  note  of  alarm  in  the  last,  it  died  away 
suddenly. 

The  Duke  was  now  almost  at  Southerly  Buster's 
quarters,  and  Bradley  was  on  the  lookout  for 
squalls;  the  advantage  he  possessed  was  greatly  in 
his  favor  at  this  critical  point.  Colley  thrilled  with 
excitement;  after  the  first  part  of  the  race  the 
change  was  delightful.  There  was  no  doubt  about 
The  Duke's  doing  his  best  now.  A  tremendous 
cheer  came  from  the  crowd  as  he  drew  almost  level 
with  Southerly  Buster. 

They  were  not  many  lengths  from  the  winning- 
post;  it  was  a  terrific  set-to.  There  was  nothing 
between  the  pair;  they  were  evenly  matched.  The 
Australian  was  a  wonderful  horse.  How  the 
colonials  cheered !  There  was  nothing  wrong  with 
their  lungs,  whatever  there  might  be  with  their 
limbs.  It  was  a  glorious  sight  to  watch  these  two 
horses,  representatives  of  all  that  was  best  in  the 
sport  on  two  sides  of  the  world,  struggling  for 
supremacy.  There  was  the  blue  blood  of  the 
English  thoroughbred  in  both,  although  reared  and 
trained  under  different  conditions.  Cheering  and 
counter-cheering  echoed  over  the  heath  as  The  Duke 


HALF  A  HEAD  175 

and  Southerly  Buster  struggled  on.  Whichever 
won,  the  honors  were  almost  equal;  this  is  as  it 
ought  to  be  on  a  match  of  this  kind. 

The  whips  were  out;  down  they  came,  and  still 
the  horses  were  locked  together.  The  Duke  tossed 
his  head.  Colley  thought  it  was  all  up,  that  he  had 
given  in ;  then  to  his  surprise  the  horse's  resentment 
took  another  turn  and  he  made  a  savage  effort  to 
get  his  head  in  front. 

The  din  was  tremendous,  and  the  excitement 
great ;  there  was  not  likely  to  be  a  better  race  than 
this  in  the  four  days. 

Bradley  rode  splendidly,  so  did  Colley,  and  both 
horses  put  in  all  they  knew. 

They  were  just  at  the  post  when  The  Duke  made 
his  final  stride.  Had  he  won?  Nobody  knew,  not 
even  the  jockeys;  each  thought  he  had  just  got  it. 
The  judge  was  certain;  he  alone  could  decide,  and 
he  did  not  hesitate. 

There  was  a  moment  of  silent  suspense,  then  the 
hurricane  of  cheers  as  humber  one,  The  Duke's 
number,  went  up.  Alan's  horse  had  won  by  half  a 
head  in  the  last  stride  and  Southerly  Buster  was 
only  just  vanquished.  "  Honor's  divided,"  was 
Mr.  Hallam's  comment  when  he  met  Alan  in  the 
paddock. 

"They  are,"  he  replied;  "there  is  nothing  be- 
tween them." 


176  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Only  half  a  head,"  answered  Mr.  Hallam, 
smiling,  "  but  it  makes  all  the  difference." 

"  I  thought  I'd  just  done  it,"  said  Bradley. 

"  So  did  I,"  said  Colley.  "  It  was  the  last  stride; 
they  were  dead  level  next  moment." 

"  It  was  worth  coming  home  for,"  said  Alan 
enthusiastically.  "  There'll  be  some  fun  at  the 
front  to-night.  There  were  several  wagers  on. 
They  are  all  great  sports." 

"  Will  they  hear  the  result?  "  asked  Eve. 
'  Oh,  yes ;  you've  no  idea  how  news  gets  round ; 
it's  remarkable  where  it  comes  from  —  Lord  only 
knows,"  said  Alan. 

There  was  much  speculation  in  Newmarket  dur- 
ing the  evening  as  to  the  next  day's  match. 
Southerly  Buster  had  run  such  a  race  that  it  was 
considered  Rainstorm,  who  was  the  better  horse, 
had  a  splendid  chance  of  beating  Bandmaster. 
Many  people  doubted  the  Hunt  Cup  winner's  capa- 
bility to  stay  two  miles.  Mr.  Hallam  was  so  im- 
pressed with  Southerly  Buster's  performance  that 
he  laid  several  big  wagers  Rainstorm  would  win. 
Alan  was  not  oversanguine,  although  Fred  Skane 
declared  Bandmaster's  task  was  easier  than  The 
Duke's. 

Baron  Childs  invited  Alan,  Evelyn  Berkeley,  and 
the  Hallams  to  stay  with  him  for  the  night ;  he  also 
had  other  friends  there.     During  the  evening  there 


HALF  A  HEAD  177 

was  some  wagering  on  the  next  day's  match  and 
opinions  were  about  equally  divided. 

The  Baron  was  particularly  attentive  to  Eve. 
Alan  smiled  as  he  said  to  himself: 

"  He  does  not  know  we  are  engaged.  Eve  is 
mine ;  there's  no  chance  for  anybody  else." 

Alan  walked  to  Skane's  after  dinner  and  had  a 
long  talk  with  him  over  the  running  of  his  horses. 

"  Think  we'd  better  put  Robin  Hood  over  the 
sticks,"  he  said.  "  I've  found  out  he's  a  good 
fencer;  there'll  be  some  meetings  under  National 
Hunt  rules  during  the  winter  and  next  spring." 

Alan  was  pleased  at  the  suggestion;  he  loved  a 
ride  over  the  sticks  or  steeple-chase  course,  and 
Robin  Hood  was  just  the  moimt  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XX 

TWO   STAYERS 

WHEN  Rainstorm  and  Bandmaster  cantered 
down  the  course  they  were  greeted  with 
cheers;  the  seccnd  match  was  regarded  with  even 
more  interest  than  the  first. 

The  element  of  doubt  about  the  staying  powers 
of  Bandmaster  caused  odds  to  be  laid  on  the  Aus- 
tralian, who  had  the  reputation  of  a  long  distance 
winner.  Alan  was  rather  surprised  at  this,  and 
supported  his  horse  freely  in  order  to  make  him 
favorite.  This  he  did  not  succeed  in,  as  the  colo- 
nials laid  short  odds  freely  on  Rainstorm. 

Both  horses  were  fit;  they  went  moving  past  in 
free  and  easy  style.  Some  said  Bandmaster  was  a 
bit  above  himself ;  another  gallop  or  two  would 
have  made  all  the  difference,  but  the  trainer  said  no; 
the  horse  always  did  better  when  a  trifle  big. 

They  were  to  run  over  the  last  two  miles  of  the 
Caesarewitch  course,  a  sure  test  of  a  horse's 
stamina. 

They  were  sent  on  their  journey  at  once  and 

178 


TWO  STAYERS  179 

Rainstorm  made  the  running.  Wrench  told  Brad- 
ley he  need  not  fear  making  as  much  use  of  him  as 
he  thought  fit. 

Colley  was  content  to  wait,  keeping  well  in  the 
track  of  the  leader.  Skane  said  to  him  before  he 
mounted : 

"  Don't  bustle  him,  let  the  other  fellow  make  the 
pace ;  come  as  fast  as  you  like  at  the  end  of  the  first 
mile,  he'll  think  it's  another  Hunt  Cup  gallop. 
He's  got  the  speed,  we  all  know  that,  and  I  want  to 
prove  he's  a  stayer  as  well." 

Rainstorm  reveled  in  the  going,  which  was  fairly 
hard.  He  loved  to  hear  his  feet  rattle;  this  was 
the  sort  of  ground  he  was  used  to.  Bandmaster 
seemed  indifferent  to  the  going,  he  galloped  just  as 
well  when  the  ground  was  heavy;  his  temper  was  of 
the  best,  an  easy  horse  to  ride,  always  ready  to  run 
a  genuine  race. 

Colley  knew  he  was  going  well,  and  was  con- 
tent to  wait  for  the  end  of  the  first  mile  as  Skane 
had  told  him. 

There  was  much  jubilation  as  Rainstorm  came 
striding  along  in  front;  this  time  no  doubt  the 
result  would  be  in  favor  of  the  Australian.  Mr. 
Hallam  was  satisfied;  his  favorite  was  going  in 
his  best  form;  the  honor  of  Australia  would  be 
upheld,  he  felt  certain  of  winning. 

Fred  Skane  looked  on  with  a  smile  of  satisfac- 


180  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

tion.  At  the  end  of  the  first  mile  Bandmaster  was 
going  as  strong  as  when  he  had  started,  and  had  not 
been  at  full  speed.  He  waited  for  Colley  to  bring 
him  along,  thinking  there  would  be  a  surprise  for 
the  folks  who  regarded  the  horse  as  a  non-stayer. 

Alan,  despite  the  trainer's  assurance,  still  had 
doubts  about  his  horse.  He  thought  Bandmaster 
was  running  unkindly,  and  put  it  down  to  his 
objections  to  going  the  distance. 

Colley  still  waited,  and  Fred  Skane  wondered 
if  he  had  mistaken  the  distance.  The  jockey  had 
not,  but  it  occurred  to  him  Bandmaster's  run  would 
come  better  at  the  six  furlongs  than  the  mile. 
Skane  gave  him  discretionary  powers  because  he 
knew  the  horse  and  how  to  ride  him. 

"  Here  he  comes,"  said  Skane  to  himself,  as  he 
fixed  his  glasses  on  the  horse. 

Bandmaster  responded  to  Colley's  call ;  he  dashed 
forward  at  a  great  pace  and  drew  almost  level  with 
Rainstorm.  This  was  a  revelation  to  doubters,  and 
some  wagers  were  laid  that  Alan's  horse  would  win. 

Bradley,  having  been  just  beaten  on  Southerly 
Buster,  was  determined  to  turn  the  tables  this  time. 
Jack  Wrench  told  him  what  a  great  horse  Rain- 
storm was,  one  of  the  best  stayers  in  Australia. 
"  Nearly  as  good  as  Carbine,"  he  said. 

This,  combined  with  his  own  opinion  that  Band- 
master was  only  a  miler,  made  him  sanguine,  and 


TWO  STAYERS  181 

when  Rainstorm  made  the  running  without  an  effort 
he  considered  the  race  at  the  end  of  ten  furlongs 
as  good  as  won. 

It  came  as  a  surprise  when  Bandmaster  drew 
alongside,  but  he  considered  this  effort  a  flash  in 
the  pan,  anticipating  the  horse's  falling  back.  At 
the  end  of  another  furlong  Bandmaster  still  stuck 
to  his  work,  and  Colley  appeared  to  be  taking  things 
easily. 

"  He's  trying  to  fox  me,"  thought  Bradley. 

Four  furlongs  from  home  Alan's  horse  was  still 
going  strong,  showing  no  signs  of  shirking  or  giving 
way  under  pressure. 

Bradley  began  to  have  doubts.  Bandmaster  trav- 
eled like  a  stayer,  no  doubt  about  it;  still  he  could 
not  quite  believe  he  would  last  it  out. 

Rainstorm  lacked  one  thing,  a  fine  turn  of  speed 
to  finish  up  with;  this  was  where  Bandmaster  came 
in. 

Colley  urged  his  mount  forward  and  headed  his 
opponent.  Bandmaster  showed  in  front,  and  Brad- 
ley began  to  niggle  at  Rainstorm  in  order  to  keep 
his  place.  The  Hunt  Cup  winner  was  traveling 
almost  as  fast  as  at  Ascot  and  so  great  was  the 
pace  that  Rainstorm  felt  the  pressure.  There 
seemed  every  possibility  of  this  race's  being  as  close 
as  the  first;  it  was  astonishing  how  well  the  horses 
were  matched.     If  anybody  had  doubts  about  the 


182  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

merits  of  Australian  horses  they  were  being  rapidly 
dispelled. 

There  was  a  bigger  crowd  than  the  previous  day, 
for  the  great  race  between  The  Duke  and  Southerly 
Buster  roused  sporting  enthusiasm  to  a  high  pitch. 
The  best  patrons  of  racing  were  present,  men  who 
thoroughly  enjoyed  a  match  of  this  kind  and  were 
content  with  a  fiver  on  the  one  they  fancied. 

The  cheering  began  when  the  pair  reached  the 
stands,  and  was  renewed  again  and  again. 

Alan  was  keenly  interested  in  the  result.  If 
Bandmaster  beat  Rainstorm  he  would  be  delight- 
fully surprised.  He  smiled  as  he  pictured  Fred 
Skane  crowing  over  the  doubters  and  pronouncing 
Bandmaster  the  best  horse  in  the  land. 

Eve  was  anxious.  She  wanted  Alan  to  win  both 
matches ;  at  the  same  time  she  was  glad  Mr.  Hal- 
lam's  horses  showed  such  good  form.  She  was 
quite  willing  to  accept  his  excuse  that  they  would 
have  done  better  had  they  been  thoroughly  acclima- 
tized. There  was,  however,  little  time  to  think  over 
these  things;  all  attention  was  concentrated  on  the 
race,  which  was  now  at  the  most  exciting  part,  and 
the  tumult  at  its  height.  The  brown  jacket  with 
the  blue  sleeves  held  the  lead  as  they  came  up  the 
rise,  but  the  black  and  orange  hoops  were  close  on 
to  them,  and  Rainstorm's  head  was  at  Bandmaster's 
girth. 


TWO  STAYERS  183 

It  was  a  punishing  finish,  but  neither  horse  gave 
way  —  a  splendid  display  of  dogged  courage  and 
endurance,  it  appealed  to  all  that  was  best  in  thou- 
sands of  people  witnessing  it. 

Bradley  roused  himself  for  a  final  effort;  few 
jockeys  had  his  strength  at  the  end  of  a  severe 
course;  he  had  snatched  races  out  of  the  fire  by 
sheer  power  of  endurance. 

Tommy  had  beaten  him  yesterday ;  he  was  almost 
savagely  determined  not  to  be  placed  second  to-day. 
Every  nerve  was  strained,  all  his  resources,  and  they 
were  many,  were  called  upon.  He  rode  with  his 
head  as  well  as  his  legs,  and  judged  every  little  thing 
in  favor  of  his  mount. 

If  Rainstorm  had  a  bit  of  brilliant  dash  in  him 
all  would  be  well,  but  had  he?  From  the  way  the 
horse  had  traveled  Ben  doubted  but  nevertheless 
determined  to  test  him  to  the  utmost.  He  felt 
the  horse  roll  a  trifle  and  held  him  firm.  What 
caused  this?  He  was  certain  Rainstorm  was  not 
beaten. 

Then  Bandmaster  did  the  same  thing,  but  it  was 
more  of  a  lurch  and  Colley  gasped  in  surprise. 
Both  jockeys  were  straining  to  the  utmost  but  had 
not  drawn  their  whips.  Bradley  was  the  first  to 
raise  his  arm ;  Colley  saw  it  and  immediately  fol- 
lowed suit.  The  whips  came  down  simultaneously, 
the  result  was  equal  and  the  horses  kept  their  posi- 


184  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

tions.  Again  the  whips  fell  and  this  time  it  was 
Bandmaster  made  the  better  response. 

It  was  not  a  cruel  race ;  these  reminders  were  not 
vicious,  so  sensitive  were  the  wonderfully  bred 
horses  that  they  answered  to  the  least  call. 

Alan's  horse  gained  half  a  length  and  there  was  a 
terrific  cheer ;  the  brown  and  blue  was  well  in  front, 
the  black  and  orange  hoops  fell  back. 

A  look  of  disappointment  stole  over  Bernard  Hal- 
lam's  face.  Rainstorm  was  his  favorite;  he  would 
have  given  much  to  see  him  win.  Two  miles  was 
his  best  distance.  What  a  horse  Bandmaster  must 
be  to  beat  him!  A  Hunt  Cup  winner  giving  Rain- 
storm the  go-by  over  two  miles  —  it  was  hardly 
credible ;  but  there  was  the  hard  fact. 

"Ah!" 

Mr.  Hallam  exclaimed  loudly. 

"Hurrah!" 

He  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"  Hurrah,  hurrah,  hurrah  !  " 

The  cry  came  again  in  three  loud,  victorious 
cheers. 

And  what  caused  it?  Why  this  sudden  change 
from  despondency  to  joyful  hope  of  victory? 

Rainstorm,  after  a  prodigious  effort  on  Bradley's 
part,  drew  level  with  Bandmaster,  got  his  head  in 
front,  kept  it  there,  and  the  judge's  box  was  only  a 


TWO  STAYERS  185 

few  yards  away.  A  wonderful  bit  of  riding,  a  great 
and  gallant  effort  on  the  part  of  a  good  horse. 

Tommy  almost  yelled  as  he  drove  Bandmaster 
along;  to  be  defeated  after  all,  no,  he  couldn't  stand 
that.  He  never  rode  a  better  race  and  he  had  a 
good  horse  under  him. 

The  last  effort  made  by  Rainstorm  seemed  likely 
to  carry  him  first  past  the  post,  and  Bernard  Hallam 
was  sure  of  winning.  Bandmaster,  however,  would 
not  be  denied,  the  horse  divined  there  was  danger 
of  losing;  being  full  of  courage  he  resented  this  and 
put  forth  his  strength  and  speed  to  stave  off  defeat. 
How  he  did  it  Colley  could  not  tell,  but  by  some 
almost  magical  power  he  drew  level  with  Rainstorm 
again  and  the  desperate  struggle  continued. 

The  best  thoroughbred  never  knows  when  he  is 
beaten ;  so  it  was  in  the  case  of  Bandmaster,  who 
hung  on  to  his  opponent  with  bulldog  tenacity. 
Bernard  Hallam  hardly  believed  it  possible  that 
Alan's  horse  had  again  got  on  terms  with  Rain- 
storm. The  angle  was  deceiving  and  his  colors  still 
appeared  to  be  in  front;  so  thought  hundreds  of 
others. 

For  a  brief  moment  the  eyes  of  the  jockeys  met; 
each  saw  grim  determination  there,  then  they  looked 
ahead  and  the  judge's  box  loomed  up  clear  and  close. 

The  finish  was  thrilling.     As  they  flashed  past 


186  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

the  post  the  question  was  asked,  "  What's  won?" 
and  nobody  could  tell. 

"  Close  as  The  Duke's  race,"  said  one. 

"Gone  one  better;  Rainstorm  won,"  said  one  of 
the  Australians. 

"  Don't  think  so ;  that  was  a  terrific  run  of  Band- 
master's," replied  another. 

The  numbers  seemed  a  long  time  going  up,  then 
number  one  was  slipped  in ;  before  the  roar  of  Band- 
master's supporters  died  away  number  two  ap- 
peared alongside  it.  The  result  was  a  dead  heat  — 
a  mighty  struggle  —  a  dead  heat  over  two  miles. 
The  owners  were  not  likely  to  run  it  off,  so  which 
was  the  better  horse  was  not  settled  and  there  would 
be  much  food  for  argument. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE   RAID 

WE  shall  have  to  make  another  match  to  settle 
the  question,"  said  Mr.  Hallam. 

"  I'm  willing,"  laughed  Alan,  "  but  give  me  time. 
I  must  go  back  at  once ;  there's  some  tough  work  to 
be  done  before  long." 

"  When  you  like,"  replied  Mr.  Hallam.  "  I  am 
not  going  back  to  Australia  at  present.  I  have  no 
wish  to  be  sent  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

Alan  said  good-bye  to  Eve  at  The  Forest.  Be- 
fore leaving  for  London  he  saw  Duncan  Fraser. 
Everything  was  going  well,  no  cause  for  anxiety, 
and  the  manager  spoke  hopefully  of  the  future. 

Alan  was  surprised  when  he  heard  of  Jane 
Thrush's  marriage  and  rated  Tom  soundly  for 
"  throwing  her  away  "  on  such  a  fellow. 

Tom  remonstrated  in  a  sullen  way,  saying  he 
thought  it  a  good  match  for  his  daughter. 

"  You'll  find  out  it  is  not,"  said  Alan  sharply. 
"  The  man  is  probably  in  the  pay  of  the  enemy,  and 
will  be  laid  by  the  heels  before  long;  then  she  will 
come  back  to  you  and  you'll  be  glad  to  have  her." 

187 


188  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Alan  suspected  Tom  had  been  bribed  by  Meason ; 
he  knew  his  fondness  for  money  but  did  not  ques- 
tion him  on  this  subject. 

Tom  Thrush  thought  over  what  Alan-  said.  It 
caused  him  some  uneasiness.  He  had  a  great  re- 
spect for  him  and  his  opinions  and  knew  he  would 
not  make  an  assertion  without  good  grounds  for 
doing  so. 

Carl  Meason  and  his  wife  arrived  at  a  small  resort 
on  the  East  Coast  and  stayed  at  an  hotel.  She 
wondered  why  he  came  here ;  there  was  not  much  to 
see,  it  was  dull.  Once  she  had  been  to  Scarboro' 
and  enjoyed  the  brief  stay,  but  H was  a  differ- 
ent place. 

Meason  left  her  alone  a  good  deal.  The  excuse 
was  he  had  work  to  do;  he  did  not  explain  what  it 
was. 

After  a  week  in  Meason's  company  Jane  already 
began  to  repent  her  hurried  marriage.  Carl  was 
rough;  some  of  the  veneer  wore  off  rapidly.  He 
gave  her  money  and  told  her  to  amuse  herself,  but 
there  was  little  chanccof  that  in  such  a  place. 

"  Why  don't  you  take  me  with  you?  I'd  like  to 
see  the  country,"  said  Jane. 

"'Can't  be  done,  my  dear;  not  yet,  at  least. 
Wait  a  week  or  two  and  I  may  be  able  to  do  so,"  he 
replied. 

"  What  are  you  so  very  busy  about?  "  she  asked. 


THE  RAID  189 

He  declined  to  gratify  her  curiosity  and  said  a 
wife  ought  to  trust  her  husband;  to  which  she  re- 
sponded that  he  didn't  seem  to  trust  her. 

"  Perhaps  you'd  rather  go  back  to  your  father?  ': 
he  sneered. 

"  You  are  unkind ;  you  know  I  would  not,  but  I 
think  you  might  be  with  me  more;  it's  lonely  here," 
she  said  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

He  kissed  her,  talked  soothingly,  and  she  was 
pacified.  When  alone  she  wondered  what  he  was 
about.  She  thought  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel 
and  others  regarded  him  with  suspicion ;  it  made  her 
uneasy;  she  began  to  consider  what  Abel  Head  and 
others  had  said  about  him  at  Little  Trent. 

Already  Zeppelin  raids  had  been  made  on  the 
coast,  also  S.E.  counties,  but  Jane  paid  little  heed 
to  them.  She  looked  at  the  pictures  but  they  gave 
little  information. 

Carl  came  back  very  late,  or  rather  early  in  the 
morning;  she  had  gone  to  bed  in  a  depressed  state. 
What  kept  him  out  until  this  hour?  It  was  three 
o'clock  when  he  came  into  the  room.  She  sat  up 
in  bed,  the  light  was  burning,  and  looked  at  him 
half  frightened. 

"  I  thought  you  were  never  coming,"  she  said. 
"  Where  have  you  been?  " 

He  locked  the  door,  then  sank  into  a  chair  ex- 
hausted. 


igo  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  I'm  tired  out,"  he  said. 

"  Where  have  you  been?  "  she  asked  again. 

"  I  went  to ;  the  car  broke  down ;  I  had  to 

have  it  repaired.     It's  all  right  now;  I'll  take  you 
out  to-morrow,  Jane,"  he  said. 

This  pacified  her,  but  as  she  looked  at  him  she 
fancied  she  detected  signs  of  fear  in  his  face ;  there 
was  a  furtive,  hunted  look  about  him.  There  was 
startling  news  in  the  papers  next  morning.  A  Zep- 
pelin raid  on  the  Norfolk  coast  was  reported.  Sev- 
eral people  were  killed  and  injured. 

There  was  much  excitement  in  the  hotel ;  nothing 
else  was  talked  about,  and  Carl  Meason  was  re- 
garded with  curiosity.  It  was  known  he  had  been 
out  in  his  motor  until  the  early  hours  of  the  morn- 
ing —  perhaps  he  had  seen  the  Zeppelins. 

Questions  were  put  to  him.  He  replied  that  he 
saw  nothing  of  them ;  his  car  broke  down  and  it  was 
a  long  time  before  he  got  it  repaired.  He  was  miles 
away  in  a  lonely  part  of  the  country  when  it  hap- 
pened; fortunately  he  knew  all  about  cars  and  the 
works;  it  was  a  great  advantage  to  put  your  car 
right  when  it  went  wrong.  He  spoke  freely,  court- 
ing questions,  made  comments  on  the  raid.  He  had 
recovered  his  self-possession  during  the  few  hours' 
rest  and  was  willing  to  meet  all  comers. 

•Jane  was  packing  in  her  room  when  he  went 
downstairs;  he  told  her  they  would  leave  in  the 


THE  RAID  191 

afternoon.  After  all  it  was  a  dull  place  for  her 
and  another  part  of  the  country  would  suit  her  best, 
or  would  she  prefer  to  go  to  London  for  a  few  days  ? 

She  said  she  would  love  to  see  London,  she  had 
never  been  there ;  it  must  be  a  grand  place. 

He  promised  to  consider  it  over  and  left  her  in 
the  room. 

Carl  went  out  to  examine  his  car;  he  was  very 
particular  about  it. 

"  Nobody's  been  meddling,"  he  thought;  "it's 
just  as  I  brought  it  in.  It  was  a  deuce  of  a  run, 
evciting  while  it  lasted.  I  don't  think  anybody 
spotted  me." 

When  Jane  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs  she 
heard  people  talking  in  the  private  bar.  There 
were  three  or  four  of  them,  she  concluded,  but  the 
door  was  almost  closed  and  she  could  not  see  inside. 
One  voice  she  recognized  as  the  landlord's. 

The  mention  of  her  husband's  name  caused  her  to 
stand  still  and  listen.  The  men  were  discussing  the 
raid,  from  which  she  gathered  that  it  was  sup- 
posed the  Zeppelins  were  guided  by  a  motor  car  with 
a  powerful  light.  Strong  remarks  were  passed  and 
hopes  expressed  that  the  scoundrel  would  be  caught. 
It  was  surmised  he  was  in  the  pay  of  the  Huns  —  a 
spy  —  and  he  deserved  shooting. 

"  He's  a  mysterious  fellow,"  said  the  landlord, 
alluding   to   Carl   Meason.     "  He  was   out   in   his 


192  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

motor  half  the  night,  came  home  between  two  and 
three.  I'd  like  to  know  where  he  went;  if  I  had 
something  definite  to  go  on  I'd  give  warning  to  the 
police." 

"  You'd  better  do  that  in  any  case,"  said  one  of 
the  men.     "  You'll  be  on  the  safe  side  then." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  the  landlord,  "but  I 
might  get  into  trouble  if  there's  nothing  wrong  with 
him." 

"  Risk  it,  Frank ;  it's  worth  it.  There's  no  end 
of  these  spies  about,  and  the  sooner  they're  stopped 
the  better." 

"I'll  think  it  over  —  if  he's  a  spy  I'm  sorry  for 
his  wife.  She's  a  pretty  quiet  little  woman,  far  too 
good  for  him." 

Jane  heard  this  conversation ;  she  saw  the  door 
move  and  stepped  into  the  hall.  It  was  the  landlord 
looked  out  and  wished  her  good-day. 

"  I  have  been  packing,"  she  said,  with  a  faint 
attempt  at  a  smile. 

"  You  are  leaving?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  believe  so.  My  husband  talks  about  going 
this  afternoon,"  she  replied. 

"  He  has  not  said  anything  to  me  at  present. 
He's  outside  looking  over  his  motor;  he  had  a 
breakdown  yesterday  —  lucky  he  could  put  it  right. 
He  was  a  long  way  from  a  town  —  Norwich  would 


THE  RAID  193 

probably  be  the  nearest,"  said  Frank  Spatts,  the 
landlord. 

Jane  looked  at  him  inquiringly.     Carl  told  her  he 

had  the  car  repaired  at  .     This  was  another 

tale. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  he  had  a  breakdown,"  she  said 
hesitatingly. 

"You've  heard  of  the  Zeppelin  raid  last  night? 
Some  damage  was  done  on  the  Coast,  a  cowardly 
thing  killing  innocent  people,  women  and  children." 

"  Oh,  I  am  sorry !  "  exclaimed  Jane.  "  It  is  ter- 
rible. They  must  have  been  near  here.  Perhaps 
that  is  why  my  husband  is  leaving." 

Spatts  smiled  as  he  said : 

"  It  may  be  the  reason.  I'll  ask  him  when  he 
comes  in." 

Jane  went  out.  The  sea  breeze  blew  refresh- 
ingly ;  she  felt  rather  faint  and  it  revived  her.  She 
did  not  go  direct  to  the  garage  but  walked  along  the 
front ;  there  were  few  visitors  about.  She  sat  down 
presently.  Two  men  occupied  the  other  end  of  the 
seat. 

"  The  police  are  almost  certain  the  Zeppelins 
were  guided  by  a  motor  car.  Wish  they'd  find  it," 
said  one  of  the  men. 

Jane  got  up;  she  could  not  stand  any  more  of 
this;  she  blamed  herself  for  connecting  this  motor 


194  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

car  with  Carl.  Why  did  he  tell  her  he  had  the  car 
repaired  at and  the  landlord  that  he  did  it  him- 
self? She  walked  back  to  the  hotel  very  uneasy 
and  found  Carl  standing  at  the  door  with  the  land- 
lord ;  they  were  laughing  —  this  relieved  her.  Carl 
turned  to  her  and  said  : 

"  Have  you  packed?     We  leave  after  lunch." 

She  said  she  had,  and  asked  if  he  had  read  about 
the  Zeppelin  raid. 

"  We  were  just  talking  about  it,"  he  replied. 

Spatts  went  inside,  leaving  them  together. 

"  The  man's  a  fool,"  said  Carl,  jerking  his  head 
in  the  direction  of  the  landlord. 

"Is  he?  What  were  you  laughing  at?"  asked 
Jane. 

"  He  said  he  thought  it  probable  somebody  in  a 
motor  car  guided  the  airships,"  said  Carl. 

"  And  you  think  that  is  not  correct?  " 

"Of  course  it  isn't;  how  could  they  do  it?  I 
soon  proved  to  him  it  was  not  possible,  and  it  was 
then  he  laughed  at  the  absurdity  of  the  idea." 

"  You  told  me  you  had  the  car  repaired  at ," 

she  said. 

"Well?" 

"  You  told  him  you  did  the  repairs  yourself,  in  a 
lonely  part  of  the  country." 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,  Jane.  I  don't  wish  everybody 
to  know  where  I  have  been." 


THE  RAID  195 

"You  were  at ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  you  see  the  airship  over  there?  " 

"  I  saw  something  hovering  in  the  air  but  of 
course  I  never  dreamed  it  was  one  of  those  things." 

"  And  you  heard  no  bombs  explode  ?  " 

He  laughed  as  he  replied  : 

"  Not  likely.     I  should  hardly  wait  for  that." 

She  was  not  satisfied.  When  they  started  on 
their  journey  the  landlord  said : 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  have  another  breakdown, 
Mr.  Meason." 

"  No  fear  of  that.  I've  patched  it  up  well ;  it 
will  carry  us  to  our  destination." 

"Where's  that?" 

"  Beyond  York,"  said  Carl. 

"  Inquisitive  beggar,"  he  said  to  Jane  when  the 
car  was  away. 

"  We  are  not  going  to  York?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  you  asked  to  go  to  London ;  we'll  get  there 
to-night,"  he  said. 

"  Then  why  did  you  tell  him  we  were  going  to 
York?" 

"  Because  it  suited  my  purpose,"  he  replied. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

JANE   SUSPECTS 

THE  journey  to  London  was  accomplished 
without  mishap.  Carl  was  a  good  driver; 
the  car  sped  along  at  a  rapid  pace.  Jane  enjoyed 
the  ride ;  the  scenery  was  new  to  her,  and  she  was 
observant. 

Arriving  at  the  city  he  drove  to  the  Fairfax  Hotel, 
a  quiet  place  mostly  used  by  families.  There  was 
no  garage.  Leaving  Jane  there,  he  went  to  put  up 
the  car. 

She  waited  for  him.  He  seemed  a  long  time 
coming.  She  did  not  care  to  leave  the  room  in  his 
absence. 

At  last  he  came.  He  made  no  apology  for  being 
away  so  long;  he  seemed  preoccupied  and  said  little. 

They  dined  together,  and  then  he  took  her  out. 
The  streets  were  dull  and  dark,  very  few  lights  in 
the  shops,  hardly  any  in  the  streets.  The  noise  and 
bustle  confused  her. 

"There's  not  much  to  see  at  night,"  he  said; 
"  we'll  have  a  look  round  to-morrow." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  she  asked  in  alarm. 

196 


JANE  SUSPECTS  197 

"  A  searchlight,"  he  replied  laughing.  "  There's 
any  amount  of  them  but  they  don't  appear  to  be  of 
much  service." 

"  What  are  they  used  for?  " 

"  To  discover  the  whereabouts  of  Zeppelins." 

"  It  can't  be  very  safe  here?  " 

"  It's  safe  enough ;  they  won't  drop  bombs  near 
where  we  are  staying." 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"Oh  well,  it's  not  likely;  they'll  go  for  some- 
thing more  important  than  the  Fairfax  Hotel,"  he 
replied. 

Jane  was  tired.  They  went  to  bed  early.  She 
awoke  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  found  Carl 
missing.  She  thought  this  strange.  There  was  a 
dim  light  burning.  She  sat  up;  perhaps  he  had 
only  gone  out  of  the  room,  then  she  noticed  his 
clothes  were  not  there ;  he  had  evidently  dressed. 

She  tried  to  sleep  but  could  not.  She  was  afraid 
and  shivered  under  the  bed-clothes.  He  had  no 
right  to  leave  her  in  the  hotel  at  this  hour.  His 
actions  were  mysterious ;  he  always  appeared  to  have 
something  to  do  in  the  night.  She  had  no  watch 
and  wondered  what  time  it  was;  then  she  heard  a 
clock  strike  one.  He  must  have  gone  out  when  she 
fell  asleep. 

Soon  after  she  heard  an  explosion.  It  sounded 
some  distance  away.     Then  she  heard  movements 


198  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

in  the  house,  people  hurrying  about,  voices  calling. 
It  was  strange  and  disquieting. 

Some  one  paused  outside  her  door ;  then  she  heard 
the  handle  turn  and  Carl  came  into  the  room, 
swiftly,  silently,  closing  the  door  after  him  and 
locking  it. 

She  pretended  to  be  asleep,  heard  him  come  to  the 
bedside  and  breathed  heavily.  He  seemed  satisfied 
she  did  not  hear  him.  He  moved  away.  She 
opened  her  eyes  and  saw  him  unlocking  his  suitcase ; 
his  back  was  toward  her.  He  took  out  some  papers, 
sorted  them,  put  a  couple  on  the  dressing-table,  then 
placed  the  others  in  the  case. 

He  lit  a  candle  but  first  turned  round  and  looked 
at  her.     She  breathed  heavily. 

She  was  cautious  but  she  watched  him  over  the 
top  of  the  clothes,  which  were  drawn  up  to  her  face. 
She  was  surprised  to  see  him  carefully  burn  the 
papers.  He  placed  the  candle  on  a  newspaper  so 
that  the  ashes  would  fall  on  it.  He  pressed  the 
pieces  with  his  hand  as  they  fell.  When  they  were 
consumed  he  wrapped  the  remains  in  a  piece  of  the 
paper,  screwed  it  tightly,  then  put  the  small  package 
in  the  case.     He  then  undressed  and  came  to  the  bed. 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door  but  he  made  no 
response.    It  was  repeated,  this  time  louder,  sharper. 

Carl  said  in  a  half-sleepy  voice: 

"Who's  there?" 


JANE  SUSPECTS  199 

"  It's  me,  the  hall  porter ;  I  want  to  see  you  for  a 
moment." 

Carl  got  out  of  bed  grumbling.  Jane  thought  he 
was  a  long  time  unlocking  the  door.  She  moved 
restlessly  but  still  pretended  to  be  asleep. 

"  What  is  it?  Why  the  deuce  do  you  rouse  me 
at  this  hour  of  the  night?  "  asked  Carl  angrily. 

"  Mr.  Hurd,  the  manager,  said  he  thought  he 
saw  you  come  into  the  house  a  few  minutes  ago; 
I  said  you  had  not,  that  you  were  in  your  room ;  I 
did  not  see  you  and  I  was  in  the  hall." 

"Confound  him!  I  shan't  stay  here  if  I'm 
roused  up  at  this  unearthly  hour.  It's  abominable ! 
You  are  disturbing  my  wife's  rest.  What  are  the 
people  tearing  about  the  place  for?  "  asked  Carl  as 
he  heard  footsteps. 

"  Didn't  you  hear  the  explosion?  They  are  at  it 
again." 

"  Hush!  "  said  Carl.  "  You'll  wake  my  wife;  it 
will  frighten  her.  You've  all  gone  mad.  I  heard 
nothing." 

"  I'm  sorry,  sir,  but  Mr.  Hurd  was  so  certain 
he  saw  you  come  in  I  thought  I'd  see  for  myself." 

"  And  what  the  devil  does  it  matter  to  him 
whether  I  was  out  or  in?  "  asked  Carl  sharply. 

"  That's  not  my  business,  sir.  Please  excuse  me. 
I'll  tell  him  you  are  in  your  room,"  said  the  man, 
shuffling  away.     "  Queer  smell  of  burning,"  he  mut- 


200  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

tered  as  he  went  along  the  landing;  "  seemed  to  be 
in  his  room." 

The  manager  was  in  the  hall.  With  him  were 
an  inspector  of  police  and  a  detective. 

"Well?"  asked  Hurd. 

"  He's  in  his  room,  undressed  and  in  bed.  I 
knew  he  didn't  come  in." 

"  You're  mistaken,"  said  the  Inspector.  "  He 
did.     I  saw  him." 

"  He  gave  me  an  accurate  description  of  Mr. 
Meason,"  said  Hurd,  "  and  I  am  certain  I  saw  him 
come  in." 

The  hall  porter  shook  his  head. 

"  I  was  here  when  you  came  downstairs  and  I 
didn't  see  him." 

"  It's  very  strange,"  said  the  Inspector,  looking  at 
the  detective.  "  Are  you  sure  he's  the  man  you 
followed,  that  he  came  in  here?" 

"  We  both  saw  him,"  said  the  detective  dryly. 

"If  it  is  the  man,  he's  been  precious  quick  un- 
dressing and  getting  into  bed,"  said  the  Inspector 
doubtfully. 

Several  people  were  in  the  hall.  The  explosion 
roused  them.  They  made  anxious  inquiries;  the 
manager  assured  them. 

Carl  Meason  listening  upstairs  little  knew  what  a 
narrow  escape  he  had.  He  was  not  aware  he  was 
followed  as  he  hurried  back  to  the  hotel  nor  was  he 


JANE  SUSPECTS  201 

aware  that  an  accurate  description  of  him  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  police. 

It  was  Valentine  Braund,  the  American  million- 
aire, who  had  given  information  to  the  authorities. 
He  had  been  to  Little  Trent  the  day  after  Meason 
left  the  Sherwood  Inn,  and  a  piece  of  paper  found 
in  Carl's  room  by  Abel  Head  confirmed  his  sus- 
picions that  the  man  was  Karl  Shultz  who  he  was 
convinced  was  the  organizer  of  the  explosion  at 
the  Valentine  Steel  Works.  He  had  asked  Head 
to  give  him  the  paper.  It  did  not  appear  to  be  of 
much  importance  but  the  name  Mannie  Kerrnon 
was  written  on  it.  Braund  knew  this  was  the 
woman  who  worked  with  Shultz,  and  his  interest 
became  active.  He  was  a  determined  man  and  had 
made  up  his  mind  never  to  forget  Shultz.  He  had 
already  spent  money  freely  trying  to  find  him.  He 
left  Head  very  much  mystified  and  proceeded  to 
interview  Tom  Thrush. 

Thrush  recognized  him  and  as  usual  scented 
money.  Braund  proceeded  cautiously,  asking  all 
sorts  of  questions  about  the  country,  Mr.  Chesney, 
and  the  stud,  also  speaking  of  the  two  matches  at 
Newmarket  which  he  saw  decided. 

Tom  was  completely  off  his  guard  and  replied 
with  a  laugh  to  his  question  as  to  Jane's  marriage : 

"  I  don't  think  she's  done  amiss.  He  seems  a 
good  sort  of  man  and  he  has  money." 


202  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 


.. 


Well,  I  hope  it  will  turn  out  all  right,"  said 
Braund.  "  Where  did  they  spend  the  honey- 
moon? " 

Tom  explained.  He  had  heard  from  Jane.  They 
were  at  H . 

Braund  had  some  difficulty  in  restraining  his  im- 
patience. 

"Nice  place,  isn't  it?"  he  said. 

"  Quiet,  she  found  it  a  bit  dull ;  expect  they've  left 
by  this." 

Braund  remained  with  him  some  little  time  and 
then  drove  away  in  his  motor.  He  did  not  return 
to  the  Sherwood  Inn  but  told  his  chauffeur  to  go 

the  nearest  way  to  H ,  "  and  get  there  as  fast 

as  you  can  without  running  into  danger." 

He  soon  discovered  where  Meason  and  his  wife 
stayed,  made  inquiries,  Frank  Spatts  gave  him  every 
information. 

"  He  was  out  till  nearly  three  in  the  morning," 
said  Spatts. 

"  The  night  the  Zeppelins  were  over?  " 

"  Yes;  he  left  the  next  afternoon,"  said  Spatts. 

Valentine  Braund  also  discovered  that  Meason's 
car  had  not  taken  the  York  road  but  had  traveled 
London  way.  He  followed  quickly  and  arrived  in 
town  not  long  after  Meason.  It  was  Braund  who 
set  the  police  on  his  track.  He  was  with  them  when 
he  found  they  had  allowed  him  to  leave  the  Fairfax 


JANE  SUSPECTS  203 

Hotel.  The  Inspector  told  him  they  had  not  suffi- 
cient evidence  to  go  upon  and  were  not  justified  in 
arresting  him. 

"  You  might  have  stretched  a  point,"  grumbled 
Braund. 

"  That's  all  very  well.  I  don't  say  you're  not 
right,  but  we  have  to  be  very  careful  in  such  cases," 
said  the  Inspector. 

"  You  are  so  careful  that  you  allow  fellows  in 
motor  cars  to  scour  the  country  and  pilot  these 
raiders,"  snapped  Braund. 

Carl  Meason  was  alarmed.  The  police  had  been 
informed  as  to  his  movements;  he  had  very  little 
doubt  about  that.  He  told  Jane  he  must  leave 
London  at  once,  it  was  very  important ;  he  was  going 
to  Margate,  but  she  must  not  tell  anybody. 

She  was  disappointed.  He  had  promised  to  take 
her  about  London;  she  had  seen  nothing  of  it. 

He  answered  her  sharply.  His  business  was  more 
important  than  tramping  about  London. 

What  was  his  business,  she  asked  again,  and  her 
constant  repetition  irritated  him.  He  gave  no  satis- 
factory replies  and  she  resented  this.  Jane  was 
sharp,  her  faculties  developed.  She  was  not  so 
simple  as  he  imagined.  He  was  surprised  at  her 
persistence.  Was  she  beginning  to  suspect  him? 
If  so  what  did  she  think? 

The  journey  to  Margate  by  road  was  interesting. 


204  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

There  was  not  much  conversation.  When  she  spoke 
he  answered  in  monosyllables.  He  drove  to  the 
White  Hart  Hotel  facing  the  harbor  and  engaged  a 
front  room. 

"  You'll  be  able  to  pass  the  time  watching  the 
people,"  he  said,  "  and  the  harbor  is  always  inter- 
esting." 

"  What  shall  you  be  doing?  "  she  asked. 

"  Don't  keep  cross-examining  me,"  he  replied. 
"  It  puts  me  in  a  bad  temper." 

"  You  are  generally  in  a  bad  temper,"  she  said. 

"  Look  here,  Jane,  my  girl,  we'd  better  understand 
each  other,"  he  replied.  "  I  have  work  to  do  and  I 
mean  to  carry  it  out  whether  you  like  it  or  not." 

"  Are  you  tired  of  me  already?  "  she  asked. 

"  Not  exactly,  but  you  are  going  the  right  way 
to  bring  it  about,"  he  answered. 

"  I  have  a  right  to  know  what  you  are  doing." 

"  Some  day  if  you  are  very  good  I  may  tell  you," 
he  said. 

Jane  became  suspicious.  The  more  she  was  left 
to  herself,  the  more  time  she  had  to  think  matters 
over.  It  seemed  strange  that  Carl  was  always 
about  where  there  were  Zeppelin  raids.  She  began 
to  connect  him  with  them.  Abel  Head  had  called 
him  a  spy,  perhaps  he  was,  at  any  rate  his  move- 
ments were  suspicious. 

The  conversations  she  had  heard  were  disquieting. 


JANE  SUSPECTS  205 

It  was  evident  several  people  had  doubts  about  him. 
She  was  his  wife  and  she  was  determined  if  he  did 
not  treat  her  well  not  to  put  up  with  his  conduct. 
She  had  money  —  she  took  care  of  that  —  and  she 
could  always  go  home. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

ALAN'S   DANGER 

EVE  BERKELEY  was  anxious,  having  not 
heard  from  Alan  for  several  weeks.  She 
eagerly  scanned  the  papers  but  found  no  mention  of 
his  name.  Ella  Hallam  was  with  her.  Eve  was 
glad  of  company,  it  cheered  her,  and  Duncan  Fraser 
came  frequently  to  The  Forest,  generally  looking  in 
at  Trent  Park  on  the  way. 

Eve  surmised  that  Ella  was  the  attraction  and 
hoped  that  her  friend  would  recognize  his  many 
good  qualities.  She  liked  Fraser.  He  did  so  much 
for  Alan,  and  the  business  prospered  under  his  man- 
agement. He  had  not  heard  from  him  and,  like 
Eve,  was  growing  anxious. 

"  Perhaps  he  has  been  sent  on  an  important 
mission,"  he  said,  "  and  is  unable  to  write.  When 
he  left  he  hinted  at  something  of  the  kind." 

"  The  suspense  is  more  than  I  can  bear,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"  I  am  sure  he  is  safe,"  said  Ella.     "  Mr.  Chesney 

is  capable  of  taking  care  of  himself." 

206 


ALAN'S  DANGER  207 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances,"  said  Eve ;  "  but 
there  is  danger  everywhere  in  France." 

Captain  Morby  was  home  on  leave.  He  came  to 
see  Eve.  She  welcomed  him  cordially.  Had  he  any 
news  of  Alan? 

He  looked  grave  and  her  heart  sank. 

"  You  will  keep  it  secret?  "  he  said. 

"  Anything  you  will  tell  me  I  will  not  repeat,"  she 
replied. 

"  He  was  sent  to  Brussels,"  said  Harry. 

"  Brussels !  "  exclaimed  Eve.  "  Right  into  the 
enemy's  quarters !  " 

"  Yes,  a  dangerous  mission,  but  no  one  so  com- 
petent to  perform  it  successfully  as  Alan." 

"  But  Brussels !     He  will  never  come  out  alive !  " 

Harry  smiled  as  he  replied : 

"  It  is  part  of  a  great  danger,  but  even  if  he  were 
discovered  I  do  not  suppose  his  life  would  be  for- 
feited, although  he  might  be  detained." 

"  Why  did  he  go,  who  sent  him?  "  she  asked. 

"  A  highly  placed  member  of  the  Belgian  Govern- 
ment. I  was  told  on  best  authority  he  was  specially 
requested  to  go,"  said  Harry. 

"  Then  I  am  not  surprised  he  placed  his  services 
at  their  disposal,"  said  Eve. 

"  No  more  am  I." 

It  was  quite  true.  Alan  had  accepted  this  dan- 
gerous mission  which,  if  successfully  accomplished, 


208  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

would  render  great  service.  He  had  full  permission 
to  go  and  did  not  underestimate  the  risk. 

Discarding  his  uniform  he  put  on  civilian  clothes 
and  posed  as  a  Belgian.  He  spoke  French  fairly 
well  and  this  helped  him.  After  many  narrow  es- 
capes he  succeeded  in  reaching  Brussels,  where  he 
was  in  danger  of  discovery  every  hour.  He  walked 
about  the  streets  openly,  sat  in  several  cafes,  and 
talked  with  the  people.  There  were  hundreds  of 
German  officers  and  soldiers,  but  there  was  nothing 
particularly  suspicious  about  Alan's  appearance. 
He  was  well  disguised  and  did  not  look  at  all  like  an 
Englishman. 

Despite  this  some  officers  looked  at  him  curiously 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  he  fancied  he  was 
followed. 

He  succeeded  in  his  mission  and  learned  by  heart 
what  he  had  to  say  on  his  return.  There  were  many 
willing  Belgians  ready  to  help  him  at  the  risk  of 
their  lives.  In  a  fortnight  he  was  ready  to  leave  the 
city ;  but  this  was  more  difficult  than  entering  it.  On 
every  side  were  Germans,  and  nobody  was  allowed 
to  leave  Brussels  without  a  special  permit,  and  these 
were  hard  to  get.  He  had  to  wait  as  patiently  as 
possible  for  a  favorable  opportunity.  Every  day 
he  remained  the  situation  became  more  dangerous. 

So  far  he  had  avoided  speaking  to  any  of  the 
Englishwomen  who  were  still  in  the  city.     He  knew 


ALAN'S  DANGER  209 

he  was  watched,  that  the  first  false  step  might  be 
fatal. 

He  did  not  think  there  would  be  much  risk  in 
calling  at  the  English  nursing  home.  Many  Bel- 
gians went  there,  and  he  had  so  far  passed  as  such. 

He  called,  Nurse  Ranger  received  him  in  her 
private  room.  She  heard  who  he  was  and  why  he 
was  there.  She  volunteered  to  assist  him  in  getting 
away. 

She  offered  to  procure  him  a  permit  to  leave 
Brussels,  but  was  afraid  it  would  take  some  time. 
When  it  was  secured  it  would  only  take  him  to 
Bruges  or  somewhere  within  the  German  occupied 
territory. 

Alan  said  his  chief  difficulty  was  to  get  out  of 
Brussels.  Once  free  from  the  city  he  would  have  a 
chance  of  returning  to  the  English  lines. 

Nurse  Ranger  was  a  courageous,  a  fearless 
woman,  who  had  rendered  valuable  assistance  to 
Belgians  desirous  of  joining  their  comrades  in  arms. 

After  some  difficulty  she  procured  Alan  a  permit 
to  leave  the  city  under  the  name  of  Armand  Roche. 
This  she  obtained  through  a  German  officer  she  had 
nursed  back  to  life  and  who,  for  once  in  a  way, 
proved  grateful.  Alan  did  not  immediately  make 
use  of  it. 

The  permit  was  countersigned  by  the  Governor 
and  therefore  he  considered  it  would  frank  him  any- 


210  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

where.  It  expressly  stated,  however,  the  limits  in 
which  it  was  available.  At  last  he  put  it  to  the  test, 
and  arrived  as  far  as  Bruges.  He  had  been  in  the 
quaint  old  city  before  and  knew  it  well.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  last  time  he  was  there !  He  recalled 
it  vividly.  Now  the  old  market-place  was  filled  with 
German  troops  and  the  hotel  where  he  had  formerly 
stayed  tenanted  by  German  officers.  It  was  lucky 
for  him  his  permit  was  signed  by  the  Governor  of 
Brussels;  he  soon  found  nothing  less  would  have 
franked  him. 

The  risk  would  come  when  he  tried  to  return  to 
his  own  lines  and  he  prepared  for  it.  All  went  well. 
He  had  a  horse  provided  for  him,  a  fast  one  that 
had  once  been  a  racer,  and  he  must  trust  to  luck  once 
he  got  clear  of  the  German  lines.  How  to  get  clear 
wras,  however,  a  puzzle  and  he  tried  to  solve  it  as  best 

he  could. 

He  met  one  or  two  German  officers  who  spoke 
French,  and  seemed  to  get  on  well  with  them. 
They  were  suspicious  —  he  saw  that  —  and  of  course 
he  did  not  trust  them,  but  they  proved  useful  as 
he  went  about  with  them.  They  bragged  about 
their  conquests,  and  Alan  urged  them  on  until  in 
their  boastfulness  they  gave  him  an  account  of  the 
vast  power  of  the  German  Army  on  the  Western 
front  and  he  got  valuable  information  as  to  the  best 


ALAN'S  DANGER  211 

way  to  reach  the  scene  of  the  fighting  and  the  nearest 
trenches. 

He  made  his  attempt  to  leave  Bruges  one  dark 
night  and  had  not  much  trouble  in  getting  out  of  the 
town.  The  danger  began  'when  he  came  to  the  out- 
skirts and  had  to  pass  the  cordon  drawn  round  the 
town  to  prevent  people  from  leaving  in  certain  direc- 
tions. 

He  made  the  attempt  in  several  quarters  and 
found  it  too  risky;  but  on  this  particular  night  for- 
tune favored  him. 

It  was  dark.  He  rode  up  to  the  guard  and  was 
challenged.  He  handed  his  permit,  and  when  it 
was  being  examined  he  made  a  bolt  into  the  more 
open  country.  For  a  few  precious  moments  the 
Germans  were  surprised  and  Alan  was  away  in  the 
dark  at  top  speed.  The  horse  was  a  flyer  and  no 
mistake.  His  heart  beat  high  with  hope  as  he  felt 
it  bound  under  him.  Shots  were  fired  but  fell  short. 
Then  he  heard  a  noise  behind  him  but  it  was  too 
dark  to  see  anything. 

He  rode  straight  ahead,  judging  this  would  take 
him  out  of  the  Germans'  country.  For  several 
hours  he  went  on  at  a  great  pace.  Occasionally  his 
horse  stumbled,  but  that  gave  him  no  anxiety,  for 
he  was  used  to  all  kinds  of  situations  when  riding. 

When  light  began  to  steal  over  the  landscape  he 


212  THE  RIDER  LN  KHAKI 

took  in  the  lay  of  the  land.  He  was  in  the  middle 
of  a  wide  flat  country;  the  ground  was  wet  and 
marshy.  He  had  no  idea  where  he  was  but  he 
seemed  safe  from  pursuit.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be 
seen.  He  slowed  the  horse  down  to  a  walk,  it  was 
time  the  animal  had  a  rest. 

Where  was  he? 

He  went  slowly  on;  then  he  saw  in  the  distance 
what  looked  like  a  white  farm-house.  It  was  a 
dwelling  of  some  kind  and  he  made  for  it.  As  he 
came  within  hail  an  old  man  stepped  out,  a  Belgian 
peasant,  so  Alan  judged  him  by  his  appearance.  He 
spoke  to  him  in  French.  The  old  man  regarded  him 
curiously.     As  Alan  looked  at  him  he  thought : 

"  He's  a  better  man  than  I  imagined.  Perhaps 
he's  disguised." 

In  answer  to  Alan's  question  he  said  in  excellent 
French : 

"  Who  are  you?     You  don't  look  like  a  civilian." 

Alan  determined  to  be  straight  with  him ;  it  would 
probably  be  best. 

"  I  am  a  soldier.    I  wish  to  find  the  English  lines." 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  the  man.  "  Get  down,  come 
inside.     Where  are  you  from?  " 

"  Bruges." 

The  man  held  up  his  hands,  tears  came  into  his 
eyes.  He  lamented  the  fall  of  the  city,  its  occupa- 
tion by  the  Germans.     He  had  a  daughter  in  Bruges 


ALAN'S  DANGER  213 

when  the  enemy  entered  the  city.  He  wrung  his 
hands;  his  grief  was  painful.  He  said  no  more,  but 
Alan  guessed  and  grasped  his  hands  in  sympathy  — 
and  hate. 

Alan  put  the  horse  in  the  tumble-down  stable,  the 
roof  was  half  off,  the  rafters  hanging  down,  the 
walls  crumbling  —  an  old  place.  It  had  been  in  the 
family  of  Jean  Baptistine  for  many  years.  He  was 
a  lone  man,  no  wife,  three  sons  fighting,  and  his 
daughter  —  ah  well,  she  was  where  no  harm  could 
come  to  her.  She  had  saved  her  honor  and  sacri- 
ficed her  life.  He  was  glad  of  that,  very  glad, 
honor  was  more  than  life. 

He  gave  Alan  food,  coarse  but  clean,  which  he 
enjoyed,  for  he  was  hungry. 

Jean  talked  freely.  He  supposed  he  and  his  farm- 
house were  left  alone  because  they  were  out  of  the 
fire  zone,  or  perhaps  the  barbarians  did  not  think 
it  worth  while  to  meddle  with  him.  There  was  no 
wine  in  the  house.  He  procured  a  little  brandy 
which  he  gave  to  Alan  and  sipped  a  small  quantity 
himself. 

Alan  learned  that  he  was  in  the  enemies'  country, 
that  it  would  be  difficult  for  him  to  get  to  the  Allied 
lines.  He  might  be  taken  at  any  moment  and  shot 
on  the  spot.  He  had  left  his  permit  in  the  hands  of 
the  guard  when  he  galloped  away. 

Jean    Baptistine    said    there    was   no   immediate 


214  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

danger.     Soldiers  did  not  often  come  his  way.     His 
guest  had  better  lie  concealed  for  a  few  days.     He' 
would  be  glad  of  his  company,  something  might 
happen,  the  Boches  might  be  driven  back  defeated. 

Alan  being  tired  went  upstairs  to  lie  down.  The 
bed  was  clean,  the  room  smelt  fresh.  Jean  told  him 
to  rest  comfortably.  He  threw  himself  on  the  bed; 
before  Jean  left  the  room  he  was  asleep. 

The  sun  streaming  through  the  small  windows 
woke  him.     He  sat  up,  wondering  at  first  where  he 

was. 

On  the  old-fashioned  table  he  saw  a  pair  of  gloves 

and  a  cigar-case.     How  came  they  there  ? 

He  got  off  the  bed,  took  the  cigar-case  in  his 
hands,  and  stared  in  amazement.  The  monogram 
V.N.  was  engraved  on  it,  he  recognized  it,  he  had 
given  it  to  Vincent  Newport  when  he  resigned  his 
commission;  and  Captain  Newport  was  posted 
among  the  missing.  How  came  the  case  here,  and 
the  glove? 

He  was  examining  them  when  Jean  came  up  the 
crazy  stairs  into  the  room. 

To  Alan's  rapid  question  he  said : 

"  He  was  an  officer,  he  escaped  from  the  escort, 
they  tracked  him  down.  I  hid  him,  but  it  was  no 
use  —  they  found  him." 

"  What  became  of  him?  "  asked  Alan. 

"  They  took  him  away,"  he  said.     "  They  would 


ALAN'S  DANGER  215 

have  shot  me  but  he  pleaded  for  me,  said  I  did  not 
hide  him,  knew  nothing  about  it,  that  he  crept  into 
the  house  and  took  the  clothes  he  was  wearing  him- 
self." 

"  Then  he  is  alive?  "  said  Alan. 

"  I  believe  so.  Look,"  said  Jean.  He  pulled 
open  a  drawer  and  Alan  saw  in  it  an  officer's  uni- 
form. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

TAKEN    PRISONER 

IT  was  Vincent  Newport's  uniform.  Alan  did  not 
hesitate  to  use  it,  he  felt  he  would  be  safer,  as 
nobody  would  imagine  him  to  be  the  man  who  es- 
caped through  the  line  from  Bruges. 

Jean  raised  no  objections  and  Alan  gave  him  the 
clothes  he  wore.  He  offered  to  guide  him  to  a  spot 
where  he  might  get  through  the  enemy  and  reach 
his  friends.  It  would  be  difficult  but  there  was 
risk  everywhere.  Alan  protested,  if  Jean  were 
caught  he  would  be  shot,  he  was  sure  he  could  find 
the  way  from  directions. 

"  I  care  little  whether  they  shoot  me,"  said  Jean, 
"  my  life  is  ruined." 

"  It  will  all  come  right  again  after  the  war,"  said 
Alan. 

Jean  held  up  his  hands,  shaking  his  head  despair- 
ingly. 

"  After  the  war  —  God  knows  when  that  will  be," 
he  said  sadly. 

They  started  at  night.     Alan  was   for  leaving 

216 


TAKEN  PRISONER  217 

the  horse  behind  but  Jean  said  a  good  steed  might 
save  his  life. 

"  It  is  not  fair  that  you  should  walk,"  said  Alan. 
"How  far  is  it?" 

"  Some  thirty  miles,"  said  Jean.  "  That  is  noth- 
ing to  me." 

They  took  flasks  of  brandy  and  a  parcel  of  eat- 
ables.    Alan  walked  with  him,  leading  the  horse. 

It  was  a  lonely,  desolate  country,  treeless,  a  barren 
waste;  but  Jean  loved  it.  He  said  the  land  was 
better  than  it  looked. 

They  walked  all  night.  In  the  early  morning  they 
came  to  an  old  barn  and  walked  inside  with  the 
horse.  They  were  hungry  and  ate  well,  a  few  drops 
of  brandy  revived  them,  some  loose  hay  was  given 
to  the  horse.  A  low  booming  sound  was  heard,  an 
artillery  duel,  it  continued  the  greater  part  of  the 
day.  At  nightfall  Alan  mounted  his  horse  and  bade 
good-bye  to  Jean  Baptistine. 

"  I  will  hunt  you  out  when  we  have  beaten  the 
Huns,"  said  Alan  cheerfully. 

"  You  will  beat  them,"  said  Jean,  "  but  they  are 
strong,  their  sins  will  hang  heavy  on  them  when 
the  judgment  comes,  they  are  murderers."  He 
cursed  them  and  Alan  shivered  as  he  heard  what 
deadly  hate  there  was  in  the  old  man's  breast.  Was 
it  to  be  wondered  at? 

Alan  rode  in  the  direction  of  the  booming.     Jean 


218  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

told  him  to  bear  to  the  right  and  that  would  give 
him  more  chance  of  passing  the  German  trenches. 
He  carried  his  life  in  his  hands  but  he  was  cheerful, 
the  sense  of  danger  roused  him,  the  true  sporting 
spirit  manifested  itself,  he  was  against  great  odds 
and  meant  to  succeed.  As  he  went  on  at  a  slow  pace 
the  heavy  firing  ceased  for  a  time,  then  broke  out 
in  the  occasional  boom  of  a  gun.  Alan  thought 
they  were  knocking  off  for  the  night ;  he  might  have 
a  chance  to  get  through. 

As  the  horse  walked  along  he  thought  of  home 
and  wondered  how  things  were  going  on  at  Trent 
Park  and  The  Forest.  It  was  nearly  two  months 
since  he  had  been  away  from  headquarters,  and  he 
was  not  able  to  write.  Eve  would  be  anxious,  he 
must  let  her  know  he  was  safe  as  soon  as  possible. 
He  was  glad  they  were  not  married,  it  would 
not  have  been  fair  to  her ;  but  he  vowed  she  should 
be  his  wife  if  he  came  safely  out  of  the  struggle. 

Just  before  he  left  for  Brussels  he  had  received 
a  letter  from  Fred  Skane  in  which  he  said  he  was 
preparing  Bandmaster  for  the  big  steeplechase  to  be 
run  in  Trent  Park  over  a  course  of  four  miles.  This 
would  be  a  great  event,  a  sort  of  Grand  National  on 
a  small  scale.  He  hoped  Alan  would  be  able  to 
come  over  and  ride  his  horse ;  he  must  not  forget  the 
date.  With  the  owner  up  he  thought  Bandmaster 
had  a  chance  second  to  none. 


TAKEN  PRISONER  219 

During  the  excitement  and  suspense  of  his  journey 
and  stay  in  Brussels  he  had  forgotten  all  this  but  it 
came  to  mind  now  as  he  rode  quietly  on  toward 
danger.  He  remembered  the  date  and  began  to 
reckon  up,  he  had  lost  count  during  the  past  few 
days  but  he  knew  there  was  very  little  time  to  spare. 

His  message  delivered,  he  would  have  no  difficulty 
in  obtaining  leave.  He  hoped  to  be  home  in  time 
to  ride  Bandmaster  a  few  gallops  over  the  course 
before  the  race  took  place. 

He  gave  himself  up  to  pleasant  ruminations  over 
his  chance  of  winning  until  he  was  rudely  roused 
by  a  bullet  whistling  past  his  ear. 

"  Snipers  about,"  was  his  first  thought  as  he  set 
his  horse  to  a  gallop. 

Another  bullet  whizzed  above  his  head.  He 
looked  round,  but  saw  nobody.  It  was  dark; 
the  sniper  must  have  heard  the  sound  of  his 
horse's  hoofs  and  fired  in  that  direction. 

There  were  only  two  shots  but  they  roused  him 
out  of  his  reverie  and  put  him  on  the  alert. 

Then  he  wondered  how  it  came  about  that*  the 
sniper  was  behind  the  German  trenches.  Jean  told 
him  he  would  have  to  pass  them  somehow.  Had  he 
by  some  strange  piece  of  luck  got  past  the  trenches? 
Was  he  between  two  fires?  That  was  hardly  pos- 
sible, yet  it  might  be  so. 

He  pulled  his  horse  up  and  listened.     A  strange, 


220  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

buzzing  sound  was  heard  —  probably  some  aircraft, 
although  it  seemed  too  dark  for  aviators  to  see  their 
whereabouts. 

He  heard  voices  and  movements  of  men.  A  gust 
of  wind  carried  them  toward  him.  The  men  spoke 
German;  he  had  only  just  stopped  in  time. 

He  had  no  idea  where  he  was.  To  wait  there 
until  daylight  would  court  danger  but  in  which  direc- 
tion ought  he  to  go  ? 

Had  he  reached  a  strip  of  "no  man's  land,"  a 
space  left  unborrowed  and  unbroken,  lying  between 
two  fires?  If  so  he  was  "  between  the  devil  and  the 
deep  sea,"  for  he  might  be  fired  on  by  friend  and 
foe  alike. 

it  was  a  thrilling  position,  a  solitary  man  on  horse- 
back on  a  dark  night  on  unknown  ground  and  sur- 
rounded by  enemies.  Alan  listened  with  the  keen 
ears  of  a  sportsman,  all  his  faculties  alert.  A  false 
movement  and  he  was  lost. 

A  scrambling  sound  close  on  his  left  startled  him. 
He  fancied  it  was  the  men  quitting  a  trench  and  if 
so  it  could  only  be  with  one  object  in  view  —  a  night 
attack.  If  this  were  the  case  it  was  well  planned, 
for  there  was  very  little  noise.  Alan,  however, 
being  near,  heard  that  faint  peculiar  sound  of  many 
men  silently  on  the  move. 

He  would  have  given  much  to  know  where  he 
was  —  the  exact  spot.     He  wondered  if  old  Jean 


TAKEN  PRISONER  221 

Baptistine  had  made  a  mistake  and  given  him  wrong 
directions.  He  was  glad  he  wore  uniform  and  had 
Newport's  revolver  on  him  —  it  might  be  useful. 

A  faint  streak  in  the  sky,  a  rosy  tint  wearing  down 
the  pale  gray,  warned  him  day  was  breaking  and  he 
must  be  prepared. 

There  were  others  waiting  for  daybreak  as  well 
as  himself,  for  the  heavy  boom  of  a  huge  gun 
sounded  quite  close  at  hand.  Alan  looked  in  the 
direction  and  saw  a  cloud  of  smoke.  This  was 
answered  by  a  boom  and  a  cloud  from  the  opposite 
side  and  he  knew  an  artillery  duel  had  commenced. 
Suddenly  four  men  sprang  out  of  a  hole  formed  by 
a  bursting  shell.  They  were  Germans.  What  they 
were  doing  there  it  was  impossible  to  say.  They 
were  as  surprised  to  see  Alan  as  he  was  to  see 
them.  In  the  growing  light  as  he  sat  on  his  horse 
he  looked  like  a  phantom  emerging  out  of  the  mist. 

A  few  minutes  passed  and  the  situation  was 
summed  up  on  both  sides.  A  dash  was  made  at 
Alan,  shots  fired  as  he  turned  his  horse  to  the  right 
and  headed  right  straight  at  them.  His  charge  was 
the  last  thing  they  expected.  He  crashed  into  them, 
sending  two  to  the  ground;  the  others  hung  to  the 
horse  and  saddle. 

Alan  drew  his  revolver  and  shot  one  man  through 
the  head.  The  horse  plunged,  reared,  but  he  kept 
his   seat.     The  two   Germans   who   were   knocked 


222  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

down  were  on  him  again,  but  he  wrenched  free  and 
galloped  away.  Over  this  vacant  space  before  him 
men  seemed  to  spring  up  like  mushrooms.  It  was 
impossible  to  get  through  and  reach  the  English  lines, 
which  he  could  now  see.  He  made  the  most  of 
it.  His  horse  faced  the  situation  bravely,  but  he 
was  pulled  out  of  the  saddle  and  made  prisoner.  He 
had  narrowly  escaped  being  killed,  as  sundry  bullet 
tears  in  his  uniform  showed.  He  thanked  Heaven 
he  was  not  in  mufti  or  it  would  have  gone  hard  with 
him.  He  was  dragged  into  the  crater-hole  from 
which  the  four  men  who  had  first  attacked  him 
emerged.    He  had  killed  a  man,  would  they  kill  him? 

A  young  officer  ran  up.  He  looked  keenly  at 
Alan,  then,  in  excellent  English,  asked  him  his  name 
and  regiment.  A  fire  of  questions  followed  as  to 
how  he  came  there  and  what  he  was  about,  why  he 
had  left  his  lines?  He  was  searched  but  no  paper 
found. 

The  officer  seemed  rather  a  better  class  man.  He 
ordered  Alan  to  be  kept  in  the  hole,  and  put  three 
men  to  guard  him ;  then  he  went  away  in  the  direc- 
tion his  men  were  returning  to  their  trench. 

Alan  judged  there  must  have  been  a  night  attack 
on  the  English  lines  and  these  were  the  remnants 
returning  scattered  all  over  the  place;  if  so  they  must 
have  suffered  severely,  been  almost  annihilated. 

His  guards  took  very  little  notice  of  him.     They 


TAKEN  PRISONER  223 

knew  he  could  not  escape ;  moreover,  they  had  orders 
to  shoot  if  he  attempted  it. 

It  was  a  dull  day  and  there  was  very  little  firing. 
He  judged  they  were  resting  after  the  night  attack. 
It  was  an  awkward  fix  he  was  in  but  nothing  daunted 
he  puzzled  his  brains  as  to  how  to  get  out  of  it; 
they  had  tethered  his  horse  close  by  —  that  was  in 
his  favor. 

The  officer  did  not  return,  and  Alan  had  nothing 
to  eat  or  drink  —  the  soldiers  did  not  offer  him  any- 
thing. 

Night  came  on.  He  wondered  whether  he  would 
be  kept  there  or.  removed.  At  last  the  young  officer 
came,  and  with  him  a  soldier  carrying  a  bag  which 
contained  food.  Alan  was  handed  some,  also  given 
a  drink,  and  the  officer  said  he  must  remain  there 
until  next  day.  If  he  tried  to  escape  he  would 
be  shot.  Alan  wondered  why  they  did  not  take  him 
to  a  more  secure  spot;  something  must  have  hap- 
pened to  prevent  this. 

He  settled  himself  down,  after  taking  good  stock 
of  his  position  and  where  the  horse  was.  He  pre-* 
tended  to  sleep.  The  three  soldiers  were  left  on 
guard. 

They  seemed  tired,  they  must  have  been  many 
hours  without  sleep.  They  spoke  together  in  low 
voices.  Presently  one  of  them  lay  down  —  it  was 
evident  they  were  to  keep  guard  in  turns. 


224  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Alan  was  wide  awake  and  alert  now.  If  he  could 
only  make  a  dash  for  his  horse  and  spring  into  the 
saddle  there  would  be  a  chance  of  escaping. 

The  two  men  on  guard  seemed  drowsy.  The  man 
on  the  ground  breathed  heavily.  Alan  moved  and 
loosened  some  stones.  The  men  were  alert  in  a  mo- 
ment and  growled  at  him  savagely.  Alan  waited 
about  an  hour  —  it  seemed  much  longer.  He  knew 
exactly  where  the  men  were :  one  on  either  side,  the 
other  still  on  the  ground. 

Without  a  moment's  warning  he  sprang  to  his 
feet,  let  out  right  and  left,  and  by  sheer  good  luck 
hit  his  men  hard.  He  scrambled  out  of  the  hole, 
reached  his  horse,  broke  the  rope  by  which  it  was 
tied  to  a  stake,  cutting  his  hands  as  he  did  so,  sprang 
into  the  saddle  and  was  galloping  away  at  a  great 
pace  before  his  guard  recovered  from  the  shock. 
They  dare  not  fire  for  fear  of  being  discovered  in 
the  act  of  letting  the  prisoner  go.  The  two  roused 
their  sleeping  comrade,  explained  the  situation,  then 
marched  off  toward  the  enemy's  lines.  They  pre- 
ferred surrender  to  the  death  awaiting  them  if  they 
remained. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

ALIVE   AND    WELL 

ALAN  was  far  from  being  out  of  the  wood, 
there  was  danger  on  every  side,  and  it  was 
light.  Fortune  favored  him,  for  the  enemy  had 
suffered  terrible  losses  and  were  occupied  in  beating 
a  hasty  retreat,  what  was  left  of  them.  The  ground 
was  covered  with  dead,  dying,  and  wounded.  As  he 
rode  rapidly  to  the  right  he  got  clear  of  them ;  sev- 
eral shots  were  fired  and  missed  him. 

A  feeling  of  exultation  possessed  him  as  he  neared 
his  lines  a  couple  of  miles  away.  Once  there  he  was 
safe,  his  perilous  mission  accomplished. 

His  horse  shied.  Looking  ahead  he  saw  half  a 
dozen  forms  hidden  behind  some  stunted  bushes. 
The  enemy  again.  Rifles  were  pointed  at  him.  It 
meant  death  if  he  went  on. 

He  halted  and  faced  his  enemies,  but  showed  no 
signs  of  giving  in.  The  men  crept  forward,  still 
covering  him  with  their  rifles.  He  was  angry  at  the 
thought  of  being  taken  prisoner  again.  If  recog- 
nized he  would  be  shot  off-hand.  This  was  not  at 
all  likely  although  he  was  not  aware  of  it. 

Providence  intervened  in  the   shape  of  a  shell 

225 


226  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

which  hurtled  into  the  midst  of  the  creeping  men. 
There  was  a  terrific  explosion.  Alan  reeled  in  the 
saddle,  recovered  by  a  great  effort,  and  managed  to 
control  his  frightened  horse.  He  was  struck  on  the 
forehead  but  fortunately  the  peak  of  his  cap  saved 
him.  Still  the  effect  was  stunning,  stupefying.  A 
whistling  in  the  air  and  another  shell  burst,  throwing 
up  a  cloud  of  mud  and  dirt  round  him,  thus  lessen- 
ing the  danger  of  being  badly  hit. 

His  enemies  were  cut  up,  shattered;  but  he  had 
to  ride  for  his  life  to  avoid  the  shells.  He  was  in 
danger  from  his  friends. 

The  horse  was  equal  to  the  emergency  and  sped 
across  the  open  space  at  a  great  pace. 

The  solitary  horseman  seemed  to  puzzle  the  gun- 
ners, for  they  ceased  firing.  Probably  he  had  been 
recognized  as  an  officer  escaping  from  the  enemy. 

He  waved  his  cap  and,  taking  all  risks,  galloped 
toward  the  Allies'  lines.  He  knew  where  he  was 
now.  These  trenches  were  the  nearest  to  headquar- 
ters and  in  a  few  minutes  he  would  be  in  safety. 

Something  trickled  down  his  face.  He  brushed  it 
aside  with  his  hand  —  blood  —  his  wound  was  more 
serious  than  he  thought. 

His  left  arm  pained  —  blood  on  the  sleeve.  His 
left  thigh  twinged  sharply  —  there  was  blood  here 
also. 

"  Must  have  had  a  narrow  squeak,"  he  thought. 


ALIVE  AND  WELL  227 

He  felt  faint,  inclined  to  swoon,  but  held  on  to  his 
horse  firmly. 

His  head  swam,  his  sight  grew  dim,  he  heard  a 
roar  from  the  front  trench  and  then  —  oblivion. 

When  he  came  to  he  was  being  attended  behind  the 
firing  line.  He  wondered  where  he  was,  and  tried 
to  sit  up,  but  fell  back  exhausted.  The  doctor  told 
him  to  keep  still. 

He  slept  several  hours.  When  he  awoke  he  was 
in  the  ambulance,  jolting  farther  away  from  the 
line. 

It  was  twenty-four  hours  or  more  before  he  was 
able  to  stand.  Once  on  his  legs  he  quickly  recovered 
and,  asking  for  his  horse,  which  was  near  at  hand, 
declared  his  intention  of  riding  to  headquarters. 

The  doctor  protested;  but  when  Alan  explained 
who  he  was  and  the  nature  of  his  mission  no  further 
objections  were   raised. 

"  You  have  had  a  marvelous  escape,"  said  the 
doctor,  looking  at  him  admiringly.  "  You  are  a 
brave  man." 

Alan  smiled  as  he  thanked  him,  saying  there  would 
have  been  many  officers  who  would  have  been  glad 
of  the  chance  to  take  his  place  and  run  the  risks. 

He  rode  to  headquarters  and  was  heartily  wel- 
comed. In  a  few  moments  he  stood  before  his  chief, 
who  held  out  his  hand,  shook  his  heartily,  and  con- 
gratulated him. 


228  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

It  was  then  Alan  learned  it  had  been  reported  that 
he  was  shot  in  Bruges  as  a  spy.  No  doubt  this  re- 
port had  been  made  in  order  to  save  the  men  respon- 
sible for  his  escape  through  the  lines. 

"  Shot  as  a  spy,"  thought  Alan.  "  I  wonder  if  it 
has  been  made  public  in  England.  If  so,  what  a 
terrible  shock  to  Eve  and  all  my  friends." 

He  suppressed  his  feelings  and  gave  an  account  of 
how  he  fulfilled  his  mission. 

"  You  must  see  King  Albert  at  once,"  said  the 
chief.  "  It  was  a  blow  to  him  when  he  heard  you 
were  shot." 

The  news  of  Captain  Chesney's  return  was  soon 
noised  abroad,  and  on  all  sides  he  was  congratu- 
lated. 

He  hunted  up  Skane's  letter  and  found  the  date 
of  the  Trent  Park  Grand  Steeplechase  would  give 
him  ample  time  to  get  home  and  ride  Bandmaster 
over  the  course  two  or  three  times.  He  must  see 
about  his  leave  at  once. 

He  supposed  his  safe  arrival  would  be  at  once 
reported  at  home  and  that  Eve  would  see  it  and 
others. 

There  was  a  budget  of  letters  for  him  some  six 
weeks  old.  One  of  the  last  he  opened  came  from 
his  trainer.  The  date  of  the  Steeplechase  had  been 
altered  because  the  troops  camped  in  the  Park  had 
left  earlier  than  was  expected. 


ALIVE  AND  WELL  229 

Alan  was  uncertain  about  the  date.  He  asked, 
and  found  he  had  just  a  couple  of  days  to  spare  to 
get  there  in  time. 

Then  came  another  thought  which  made  him  gasp. 
Had  Bandmaster  been  struck  out  when  he  was  re- 
ported shot? 

Every  minute  was  precious. 

He  wired  to  Skane  at  once,  imposing  secrecy,  and 
asking  if  Bandmaster  was  still  in  the  race.  If  so 
he  would  be  home  to  ride. 

"  Not  a  word  about  this." 

Fred  Skane  had  not  scratched  Bandmaster.  He 
would  not  believe  Alan  Chesney  had  been  shot,  and 
this  firm  conviction  cheered  Eve  Berkeley  wonder- 
fully. Then  came  the  news  that  Captain  Chesney 
had  returned  to  headquarters  after  many  hairbreadth 
escapes  and  that  he  was  severely  wounded. 

The  reaction  set  in  at  Trent  Park,  The  Forest, 
and  Little  Trent.  Gloom  turned  to  joy;  everybody 
was  gay  and  festive.  Captain  Chesney  was  safe,  he 
would  soon  recover  from  a  few  wounds,  these  were 
trifles  to  a  brave  strong  man. 

"  There  you  are,"  said  Fred  Skane.  "  What  did 
I  tell  you,  Miss  Berkeley.     I  knew  he  was  not  shot 

—  not  likely.     Supposing  I'd  scratched  Bandmaster 

—  there'd  have  been  a  row  and  no  mistake. 
*  Scratch  the  horse  out  of  respect,'  says  Abel  Head. 
'Memory,'    says   I,    *  what   memory?     He's   alive. 


230  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

There's  no  memory  about  Captain  Chesney  yet,  I'll 
bet,  or  I'm  a  Dutchman.'  " 

Eve  laughed. 

"  Splendid,  Fred,  splendid!  You  were  right;  we 
were  all  wrong.     But  he  was  reported  shot." 

"  Reported  be "  said  Fred,  checking  himself. 

"  Who  believes  reports  ?  Not  me !  We  get  too 
much  or  too  little,  and  it  came  from  a  German 
source;  not  good  enough,  says  I,  not  half  good 
enough  for  this  child." 

When  the  trainer  received  Alan's  telegram  he 
chuckled,  then  laughed  heartily. 

"  By  Jove,  this  is  grand !  Won't  there  be  a  double 
distilled  surprise  for  'em  all.  If  he  can  get  home  — 
if?  He  must!  —  and  ride,  wounds  or  no  wounds 
—  and  he'll  win,  I  can  see  him  doing  it  —  what  a 
day  it  will  be !  Not  a  word,  not  me ;  I  wouldn't  miss 
the  shock  of  his  appearance  on  the  course,  in  an 
unexpected  way,  not  for  a  thousand." 

"  Fred's  a  bit  above  himself,"  said  Abel  Head. 
"  He's  confounded  cheeky  because  his  opinion  has 
turned  out  correct.  I  never  thought  Captain  Ches- 
ney was  shot,  did  you?  " 

"  No,"  said  Tom  Thrush,  "  not  likely." 

"  And  Fred  takes  it  all  on  himself.  He  goes 
about  with  his  '  What  did  I  tell  you?  '  until  I'm  sick 
of  hearing  it,"  said  Abel. 


ALIVE  AND  WELL  231 

"  The  main  thing  is,  the  master's  alive ;  nowt  else 
matters,"  said  Tom. 

"  Heard  from  Jane  lately?  "  asked  Abel. 

"  No;  can't  make  it  out,"  said  Tom  gloomily. 

"  I  hope  it's  all  right  with  her.  You  were  a  fool 
to  let  her  marry  him,"  said  Abel. 

"  What's  the  sense  in  pitching  that  into  me 
now?  "  growled  Tom. 

"  I  pitched  it  into  you  before  it  was  too  late,  but 
you  took  no  notice." 

"Do  you  always  follow  good  advice?"  asked 
Tom. 

"  Maybe  not,  not  always." 

"  Then  dry  up  about  me.  I'm  sorry,  Abel,  sorry 
for  my  lass ;  but  he'd  best  behave  well  to  her  or  he'll 
know  about  it,"  said  Tom  savagely. 

"Where  are  they?" 

"  Don't  know ;  haven't  heard  from  her  since  they 
left  Margate." 

"  I'll  tell  you  another  thing,  Tom.  It's  what  I've 
always  said,  Carl  Meason's  a  German  spy  and  it's 
my  belief  Jane's  found  him  out." 

"If  that's  so  and  she  has  you  can  lay  she'll  give 
him  away,  it's  her  duty  to  do  it,"  said  Tom. 

"  Probably  she  will  if  he  gives  her  a  chance,"  was 
Abel's  reply. 

"What  chance?     He  can't  interfere  with  her." 


232  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  There's  no  telling  what  a  man  like  that  will  do," 
answered  Abel. 

To  return  to  Alan  Chesney,  he  was  anxious  in  the 
extreme.  His  wounds  troubled  him  but  he  en- 
deavored to  shake  off  the  feeling.  He  had  no  wish 
to  be  invalided  at  home.  He  wanted  the  change  on 
his  own  account  and  for  a  particular  purpose,  to 
ride  Bandmaster  in  the  Steeplechase.  He  applied 
for  leave,  which  was  readily  granted,  and  was  or- 
dered not  to  return  until  quite  well. 

He  told  two  or  three  of  his  brother  officers  why 
he  was  anxious  to  get  home  and  of  course  they  were 
determined  to  have  "  a  bet  on  "  Bandmaster.  His 
servant  heard  the  news  and  it  quickly  got  about 
among  the  rank  and  file. 

A  vexatious  delay  occurred  —  one  of  those  small 
but  important  matters  to  be  attended  to  at  the  last 
minute  which  are  forever  turning  up  at  important 
moments. 

Alan  motored  to  Calais ;  and  here  again  there  was 
delay,  no  steamer  being  available  for  several  hours. 
He  fretted  and  fumed  about.  If  this  sort  of  thing 
continued  there  would  be  little  chance  of  being  home 
in  time  to  see  the  race,  let  alone  ride. 

He  passed  a  restless  time  but  at  last  the  boat 
started  and  he  was  fairly  on  the  way.  All  being 
well  he  would  reach  Little  Trent  in  good  time  on  the 
morning  of  the  meeting. 


ALIVE  AND  WELL  233 

None  of  his  friends  knew  he  was  coming  except 
Fred  Skane,  the  trainer.  His  brief  telegram  to  Eve 
said  nothing  about  it.  She  was  overwhelmed  with 
joy  to  hear  from  him  that  he  was  really  safe  and 
well. 

Being  a  sensible  woman  she  determined  to  cele- 
brate Alan's  good  news  by  taking  a  large  party  of 
friends  to  Trent  Park  to  see  Bandmaster  win.  Fred 
Skane  said  to  her: 

"  I  think  he'll  win,  but  I  wish  Captain  Chesney 
was  here  to  ride  him.     It  would  be  '  a  cert '  then." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    RIDER   IN    KHAKI 

A  SPLENDID  four-mile  was  planned  out  at 
Trent  Park,  a  real  test  for  chasers,  almost  up 
to  the  famous  Aintree  Grand  National  journey. 
There  were  stiff  fences,  two  water  jumps,  some 
plough  lane,  and  excellent  going  on  grass.  The 
horse  that  won  would  be  a  good  'un. 

Bandmaster  had  done  a  great  preparation.  The 
trainer  did  not  spare  him;  he  had  been  over  the 
course  three  or  four  times. 

Sam  Kerridge's  son  Will  was  to  ride  in  the  event 
of  Captain  Chesney's  not  being  able  to  do  so. 

It  was  a  clear,  bright,  sharp  morning,  and  from 
an  early  hour  motors  and  buses  came  by  road. 
There  was  every  promise  of  a  big  gathering  even 
without  the  use  of  train  service.  Keen  sportsmen 
were  not  to  be  denied  the  pleasure  of  such  a  meeting 
by  any  inconveniences  they  might  have  to  put  up 
with. 

Eve  Berkeley  and  her  house  party  arrived  in 
good  time.  Duncan  Fraser  was  one,  he  attached 
himself  to  Ella  Hallam.     She  could  not  fail  to  notice 

234 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI  235 

he  was  attracted.  She  liked  him,  his  sterling  worth 
appealed  to  her  and  Eve  was  always  singing  his 
praises. 

Bernard  Hallam  was  friendly  with  him.  He  was 
not  at  all  displeased  to  notice  Fraser  and  Ella  were 
on  excellent  terms.  He  was  partial  to  keen  business 
men  and  such  an  one  was  Duncan  Fraser. 

There  were  three  events  before  the  Trent  Grand 
Steeplechase,  but  the  chief  interest  was  centered  in 
the  big  event,  on  which  there  was  a  lot  of  wagering. 

Baron  Childs  was  running  Handy  Man,  a  for- 
midable steeplechaser  who  had  missed  the  Grand 
National  by  an  ace  on  two  occasions.  He  was  fully 
expected  to  make  amends  for  two  unlucky  seconds 
at  Aintree. 

There  was  an  interval  of  nearly  an  hour  between 
the  third  event  and  the  Steeplechase.  The  time  was 
occupied  in  wagering  and  looking  at  the  twenty- 
seven  runners. 

Bandmaster  was  favorite,  the  popularity  of  his 
owner  had  much  to  do  with  this.  An  official  account 
of  Alan's  mission  to  Brussels  had  been  made  public, 
and  he  was  the  hero  of  the  hour;  much  was  given 
out  but  it  was  guessed  more  remained  to  be  dis- 
closed. 

Apart  from  this,  Bandmaster  was  regarded  as  a 
great  horse.  If  half  as  good  over  a  steeplechase 
course  as  on  the  flat  he  must  possess  a  great  chance. 


236  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

His  speed  was  undeniable.  If  he  proved  a  safe 
jumper  nothing  would  be  able  to  live  with  him  on 
the  flat  at  the  finish.  Fred  Skane's  opinion  was 
known.  The  trainer  had  little  fear  of  defeat.  He 
said  confidently  that  Bandmaster  would  carry  the 
brown  and  blue  to  victory. 

Eve  Berkeley  never  looked  better.  Her  cheeks 
glowed  with  health.  She  was  happy  —  Alan  was 
safe,  what  else  mattered?  She  was  radiant.  Baron 
Childs  did  not  conceal  his  admiration.  She  wore 
costly  furs;  they  became  her  well.  She  walked 
proudly  because  of  her  hero,  the  man  of  the  hour, 
the  bravest  of  the  brave. 

There  was  only  one  thing  lacking.  If  Alan  could 
have  ridden  Bandmaster  how  glorious  it  would  have 
been. 

The  party  from  The  Forest  caught  her  enthusiasm 
and  exuberance  of  spirits.  Their  merry  laughter 
rang  clear  and  joyous. 

Captain  Morby  was  there,  paying  a  flying  visit 
from  the  front  to  see  Bandmaster  win.  He  had 
not  met  Alan  since  his  return  from  his  adventure. 

It  was  half  an  hour  before  the  race  and  a  bustling 
scene  took  place  as  the  twenty-seven  horses  were  put 
to  rights. 

Riders  hurried  across  the  enclosure,  stopping  to 
speak  to  friends,  colors  just  showing  through  the 
half-open  coats,  for  the  air  was  nipping.     Most  of 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI  237 

them  were  gentlemen  jockeys,  five  or  six  officers  who 
had  won  their  spurs  over  stiff  courses  and  had 
capped  this  by  brave  actions  at  the  front.  Every- 
body recognized  that  racing,  sport  generally,  had 
much  to  do  with  the  wonderful  heroism  displayed  in 
the  war. 

Will  Kerridge  was  anxious.  He  hoped  Band- 
master would  win.  He  wanted  the  ride  badly,  but 
would  have  stood  down  gladly  to  let  Alan  Chesney 
have  the  mount.  Fred  Skane  said  nothing  to  him 
about  Alan's  intention  to  arrive  home  in  time  to 
have  the  ride  on  his  horse.  He  was  glad  he  had 
not  mentioned  it  now ;  he  thought  Alan  was  detained, 
that  he  had  not  sufficiently  recovered  from  his 
wounds  to  bear  the  journey. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  more  it  was  hopeless  to 
expect  him  and  yet  even  now  Fred  did  not  quite 
give  up  hope. 

He  looked  anxiously  about,  raised  his  glasses  and 
fixed  them  on  the  road  from  Trent  Park  house. 
Nobody  was  coming.  After  all,  Kerridge  must  ride 
—  and  win.  He  had  given  particular  instructions 
how  Bandmaster  was  to  be  handled.  The  riding  of 
the  horse  had  been  discussed  at  the  stud  groom's 
house  on  several  occasions.  Sam  was  very  anxious 
his  son  should  win. 

While  the  bustle  and  excitement  was  at  its  height 
at  Trent  Park  a  powerful  motor  car  was  speeding 


238  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

along  the  high-road  at  top  pace.  The  driver  was 
experienced  and  working  under  pressure,  he  had 
been  promised  a  liberal  tip  if  he  arrived  in  time. 

Behind  sat  Alan,  endeavoring  to  restrain  his  feel- 
ings and  keep  quiet.  From  time  to  time  he  looked 
at  his  watch  and  replaced  it  in  his  pocket  with  an 
impatient  movement. 

The  car  stopped  with  a  jerk.  The  driver  was 
out  in  a  moment.  Alan  followed.  What  was 
wrong  ? 

The  tool  box  was  relied  upon.  The  man  knew 
his  work.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  car  moved 
on,  but  precious  time  had  been  lost. 

"  We'll  do  it  all  right,"  said  the  driver. 

Alan  doubted,  but  held  his  peace.  It  would  be  a 
terrible  disappointment  to  arrive  too  late. 

He  must  keep  as  calm  as  possible,  excitement 
was  bad  for  him,  his  nerve  had  been  severely 
tried. 

The  landscape  became  more  familiar  with  each 
mile  passed.  He  was  lucky  to  be  home  again.  He 
gave  a  few  thoughts  to  his  recent  adventures  and 
was  thankful  he  had  pulled  through. 

The  Park  appeared  in  the  distance.  A  glance  at 
the  watch  showed  it  would  be  "  neck  or  nothing," 
he  might  just  do  it. 

Something  went  wrong  with  the  steering  gear,  the 
car  swerved  and  the  front  wheels  stuck  in  the  ditch. 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI  239 

The  driver  was  shot  out  and  Alan  flung  against  the 
back  of  the  front  seat.  The  man  was  unhurt  and  on 
his  feet  in  a  few  seconds. 

Alan  swore ;  he  could  not  help  it. 

"  Lost  by  a  few  seconds,"  he  said. 

"  I'll  have  her  out,"  said  the  driver,  who  was  in 
the  car.  By  much  display  of  skill  and  force  he 
backed  it  out,  fixed  the  steering  gear,  and  said : 

"  Get  in,  sir,  we'll  do  it  yet.  Is  that  the  course?  " 
and  he  pointed  to  where  the  flags  waved. 

"  That's  it,"  said  Alan  excitedly. 

"  Is  the  going  on  the  grass  good  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I'll  steer  straight  for  it." 

The  car  bounded  over  the  turf  with  occasional 
jumps.  Alan  held  on  to  the  seat,  no  chance,  the 
race  was  timed  for  three-thirty.  The  horses  must 
be  going  out.  He  hoped  they  would  be  late.  Prob- 
ably there  were  many  runners,  a  big  field,  and  the 
weighing  facilities  improvised  for  the  occasion 
would  not  conduce  to  rapidity. 

Fred  Skane  took  a  final  sweep  over  the  Park 
through  his  glasses.  He  saw  the  car,  guessed  who 
it  was  and,  calling  to  Will  Kerridge  not  to  go  out 
on  to  the  course  for  a  minute,  made  a  bolt  to  the 
entrance  gate. 

The  car  pulled  up  quickly.     Alan  sprang  out. 

"  You,  Fred,  am  I  in  time?  "  he  said. 


240  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Just  follow  me,"  replied  Fred  as  he  ran  toward 
the  weighing  room. 

"  Get  into  the  scales.  Eleven  stone,"  he  yelled, 
then  bolted  to  find  the  stewards. 

There  was  a  hurried  consultation.  Major  Daven 
consulted  for  a  few  minutes,  then  went  to  the  weigh- 
ing room. 

"  God  bless  me  —  Chesney !  This  is  a  surprise," 
he  gasped. 

"Can  I  ride  Bandmaster?"  asked  Alan  breath- 
lessly. 

"Yes,  of  course;  I'll  tell  'em.  They're  not  all 
out  yet.  God  bless  my  soul,  this  is  a  surprise! 
How  do  you  feel?"  said  the  Major,  giving  out 
orders  between  gasps,  sending  attendants  flying  in 
all  directions. 

"  No  time  to  change ;  I'll  have  to  ride  in  khaki," 
said  Alan. 

"  And  there's  no  better  color,"  said  the  Major. 

"How  about  the  weight?"  said  the  trainer, 
stumbling  and  gasping. 

"All  right;  two  pounds  over  weight,"  said  the 
clerk  of  the  scales. 

"  Declare  it,"  said  Fred. 

"  Two  pounds  over,"  shouted  the  Major ;  "  up 
with  it  on  the  board,  owner  up,  don't  stand  there 
gaping.  Bandmaster's  the  horse  —  fly !  God  bless 
my  soul,  what  a  surprise  it  will  be ! 


jj 


THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI  241 

Alan  pitched  his  cap  in  a  corner. 

"  You've  spurs  on,  don't  use  them." 

"  All  right,"  said  Alan. 

"  And  I  say,  mind  the  water  jumps  —  they're 
stiff." 

"  All  right,"  said  Alan  as  he  was  rushing  out, 
the  trainer  on  his  heels  shouting  hints  and  instruc- 
tions. 

"  Something's  causing  delay,"  said  the  Baron, 
noticing  three  or  four  horses  still  in  the  paddock. 

Eve  looked. 

"  Bandmaster  is  still  there,"  she  said,  "  and 
Kerridsje  has  dismounted." 

"  There's  a  regular  bustle  round  the  weighing 
room,"  said  Harry  Morby. 

They  saw  attendants  running  in  and  out  and  Fred 
Skane  hurriedly  appearing,  making  for  Bandmaster. 

A  buzz  of  excitement  rose;  inquiries  were  made; 
a  feeling  of  suspense  was  in  the  air. 

A  man  climbed  up  to  the  number  board.  Eve 
saw  him. 

"  A  rider  changed  at  the  last  minute,"  she  said. 

Then  she  noticed  Will  Kerridge's  name  taken  out 
and  her  heart  almost  stopped  beating.  She  trem- 
bled, became  pale  with  excitement. 

"  Good  Lord,  what's  up?  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Hallam. 
"Shall  I  go  and  find  out?" 

"  No  occasion,"  said  Harry  excitedly.     "  Look !  " 


242  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

A  khaki-clad  figure,  a  soldier  in  officer's  uniform, 
much  worn  and  travel-stained,  with  no  cap,  came 
tearing  out  of  the  weighing  room  and  across  the 
paddock  to  where  Bandmaster  stood. 

"By  all  that's  wonderful,  it's  Alan!"  exclaimed 
Duncan  Fraser. 

''  Yes,  yes !  "  said  Eve,  and  felt  on  the  verge  of 
fainting.  She  could  hardly  believe  her  eyes.  It 
was  Alan  sure  enough,  marvelous.  How  had  he  got 
there?  She  quivered  with  the  tumult  of  her  feel- 
ings. The  surprise  was  too  much  for  her,  the  ex- 
quisite joy  of  seeing  him  again  overcame  her. 

Alan  shook  hands  hurriedly  with  Will  Kerridge. 

"  Sorry  to  take  the  mount  from  you,  Will,"  he 
said  with  a  smile. 

"  You're  welcome,  Captain ;  I'm  right  glad  you 
came  in  time,"  was  the  reply. 

Alan  mounted  and  rode  Bandmaster  on  to  the 
course. 

"  Who  is  the  rider  in  khaki  ?  "  asked  a  well-known 
man. 

"  Blest  if  I  know.  He's  riding  Bandmaster  too." 
He  turned  to  look  at  the  board. 

"Well,  of  all  the  wonderful  things!"  he  ex- 
claimed. "  It's  Captain  Chesney,  the  owner ;  he 
must  have  just  arrived  from  the  front  in  time." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE    STEEPLECHASE 

ALAN  was  recognized  by  scores  of  people,  deaf- 
ening cheers  greeted  his  appearance  on  Band- 
master. He  walked  the  horse  past  the  stand  and 
saw  Eve  and  her  friends.  Stopping  for  a  moment 
he  waved  his  hand.  There  was  a  flutter  of  hand- 
kerchiefs in  response.  Eve  was  a  proud  woman. 
Her  hero,  everybody's  hero,  was  there  sitting  his 
horse  well,  eager  for  the  fray,  ready  to  show  how 
he  could  ride. 

The  horses  were  at  the  post  as  he  cantered  down. 
The  starter  wondered  why  the  favorite  was  late. 
He  could  not  let  them  go  without  him. 

The  riders  looked  at  the  khaki-clad  horseman  and 
some  of  them  recognizing  him  cheered  wildly. 

"  It's  Captain  Chesney,"  said  Dan  Rowton,  rider 
of  Handy  Man. 

When  he  came  up  there  was  a  general  cheer  and 
many  of  them  expressed  pleasure  that  he  was  riding. 
There  was  no  time  to  talk.  Alan  smiled  his  thanks 
and  took  his  place  in  the  center.  In  a  minute  or  two 
they  were  off,  Frosty  going  away  with  the  lead. 

243 


244  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Alan's  feelings  can  be  imagined.  He  was  excited, 
small  wonder  at  it.  He  thought  how  wonderful  that 
he  was  there  in  Trent  Park,  riding  in  the  steeple- 
chase. 

The  tension  of  the  motor  ride  against  time  strung 
him  to  the  highest  possible  pitch  and  he  had  not  quite 
recovered  from  his  wounds. 

How  glorious  it  was  to  be  on  Bandmaster !  How 
much  had  happened  since  the  horse  won  the  Hunt 
Cup!  Many  startling  events  had  crowded  one  an- 
other in  rapid  succession. 

Bandmaster  moved  well.  Alan  was  already  on 
good  terms  with  his  mount.  The  first  fence  was 
reached,  not  a  formidable  obstacle.  All  the  horses 
got  over  but  three  or  four  jumped  wildly.  Band- 
master flew  it  like  a  bird. 

There  were  three  spills  before  the  stand  was 
reached.  As  they  swept  past  there  was  much  cheer- 
ing. Bandmaster's  rider  was  singled  out  for  a 
tremendous  reception  as  the  horse  cleared  the  stiff 
fence  in  grand  style. 

The  rider  in  khaki  looked  conspicuous  among  the 
bright-colored  racing  jackets  —  hatless,  his  uniform 
well  worn. 

They  swung  round  the  bend,  then  entered  some 
ploughed  land  which  found  out  the  weak  spots. 
Two  fields  were  crossed  and  the  first  water  jump 
reached.     There  was  a  wide  ditch  in  front  of  the 


THE  STEEPLECHASE  245 

high  fence;  the  water  gleamed  in  the  bright  light. 

Frosty  refused  and  whipped  round,  causing  three 
more  to  swerve  out.  True  Blue  stopped  short,  then 
sprang  into  the  water,  where  he  remained,  much  to 
the  annoyance  of  many  riders,  but  they  managed  to 
steer  clear.  Alan  let  Bandmaster  go.  The  horse 
made  a  grand  leap,  landing  safely.  He  was  de- 
lighted at  the  performance  and  his  hopes  of  winning 
were  high.  The  pace  was  strong,  testing  the  power 
of  the  horses  and  already  a  dozen  were  hopelessly 
out  of  it. 

From  the  stand  there  was  a  good  view  of  the  race 
and  when  Eve  saw  Bandmaster  clear  the  water  jump 
in  gallant  style  she  cheered. 

"  Beautifully  done,"  said  the  Baron.  "  Captain 
Chesney  has  a  real  good  horse  under  him." 

He  noticed  Eve's  heightened  color  and  how  ex- 
cited she  was.  Her  eyes  flashed  and  sparkled ;  there 
was  more  than  ordinary  interest  in  them.  He  won- 
dered if  Captain  Chesney  were  first  favorite. 

"  He  is  a  splendid  rider,"  said  Eve. 

"  None  better,"  said  Captain  Morby. 

"  He's  handicapped  heavily,"  said  Mr.  Hallam. 
"  It  will  be  extraordinary  if  he  can  last  out  such  a 
severe  race  after  all  he  has  gone  through." 

"  Wonderful  pluck,"  said  Duncan  Fraser. 
"Always    had." 

"  I  want  to  hear  how  he  arrived  in  time.     It  will 


246  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

be  interesting.  He  must  have  had  a  race  for  it," 
said  Ella. 

"  And  won  on  the  post.  I  hope  he'll  win  this 
race,"  said  Duncan. 

The  horses  were  almost  out  of  sight  as  they 
passed  some  trees  but  the  colors  could  be  seen 
dodging  between  them.  When  they  were  in  full 
view  again  Handy  Man  led,  with  Milkmaid,  Picket, 
Fright,  and  Sparrow  close  behind.  Bandmaster 
came  next,  alone,  followed  by  the  rest.  Seven  had 
fallen  and  there  was  a  long  tail. 

Handy  Man  was  a  grand  jumper  and  Dan  Rowton 
a  good  rider.  The  pair  seemed  to  get  on  well.  So 
far  the  horse  had  not  made  a  mistake. 

The  last  mile  and  a  half  was  a  severe  test,  the 
jumps  being  all  stiff,  and  the  pace  began  to  tell. 

A  thorn  hedge  faced  the  field  at  this  point. 
Handy  Man  flew  it  safely,  so  did  Milkmaid,  Fright, 
and  Sparrow,  but  Picket  came  down  with  a  crash, 
rolled  over,  flung  his  rider  out  of  danger,  and  was 
struggling  to  rise  as  Alan  on  Bandmaster  came  along. 
It  was  an  awkward,  dangerous  situation ;  a  less  ex- 
perienced horseman  might  have  lost  his  head.  Alan, 
however,  was  accustomed  to  act  quickly  in  emer- 
gencies. He  pulled  his  mount  to  the  left  and  just 
cleared  the  struggling  horse.  Picket,  however,  was 
so  near  Bandmaster  that  he  put  him  out  of  his 
stride ;  this  caused  loss  of  ground  and  he  fell  back. 


THE  STEEPLECHASE  247 

Eve  noticed  the  danger  and  gave  a  slight  cry  of 
alarm,  followed  by  a  sigh  of  relief  as  she  saw  Band- 
master safe. 

"  A  narrow  squeak,"  said  Harry.  "  Nobody  but 
a  good  rider  would  have  escaped." 

The  pace  was  tremendous,  considering  a  mile  had 
to  be  covered,  and  not  more  than  ten  of  the  twenty- 
seven  starters  were  within  striking  distance. 

It  was  a  formidable  mile  to  the  winning  post,  a 
stiff  fence,  then  the  water  jump,  bigger  than  the  first, 
and  two  hurdles  brushed  in  the  straight,  the  last 
being  close  to  the  winning  post. 

Alan  felt  faint  but  kept  hard  at  it.  He  was  not 
so  strong  as  he  thought.  His  wounds  and  all  he 
had  gone  through  sapped  his  strength.  He  pos- 
sessed indomitable  courage,  a  stubborn  will  which 
stood  him  in  good  stead. 

Bandmaster  tipped  the  first  fence  but  it  did  no 
harm  and  he  raced  after  Handy  Man,  Milkmaid,  and 
Sparrow  at  his  best  pace. 

The  water  jump  loomed  in  front  a  formidable  ob- 
stacle. Handy  Man  scrambled  over,  narrowly  es- 
caping a  fall.  Alan  thought  the  Baron's  horse  was 
about  done.  Sparrow  fell,  Milkmaid  cleared  it  well. 
Alan  had  a  clear  course  and  steadied  his  mount. 
Once  over  the  water  he  had  a  great  chance,  for  on 
the  flat  Bandmaster  had  tremendous  pace.  His  eyes 
were  misty,  he  could  not  see  clearly,  his  head  swam, 


248  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

something  trickled  down  his  leg;  the  wound  in  his 
thigh  had  opened  and  was  bleeding.  He  felt  Band- 
master rise  under  him,  knew  he  was  in  the  air  over 
the  water,  topped  the  fence,  and  came  down  safely; 
but  it  was  almost  a  miracle  he  did  not  fall  off,  he 
swayed  in  the  saddle,  it  was  only  by  a  tremendous 
effort  he  retained  his  seat.  Bandmaster  was  a 
wonder.  Alan  was  not  able  to  give  him  any  assist- 
ance at  the  jump. 

The  easy  going  on  the  flat  gave  him  a  chance  but 
his  eyes  were  dim  and  his  head  ached.  The  reins 
were  loose  in  his  hands. 

From  the  stand  it  was  easy  to  see  there  was  some- 
thing wrong  with  the  rider  in  khaki,  and  Eve  became 
very  anxious.  Rapidly  she  thought  of  all  Alan  had 
gone  through  and  wondered  if  it  were  telling  on 
him.  If  so  would  he  be  able  to  ride  his  horse  out, 
handle  him  skillfully  over  two  rather  treacherous 
hurdles,  they  were  the  easiest  jumps  in  the  course 
to  look  at. 

Everybody  was  excited.  Alan's  condition  was 
palpable,  he  seemed  suddenly  to  have  lost  his 
strength  and  with  it  the  control  of  his  mount. 

Fred  Skane  looked  on  aghast.  He  knew  the 
danger  better  than  any  one.  If  Alan  was  spent, 
Bandmaster  might  blunder  and  there  would  be  a 
nasty  spill.  He  hoped  for  the  best  as  he  watched 
with  his  feelings  strung  to  the  highest  pitch. 


THE  STEEPLECHASE  249 

Handy  Man,  Milkmaid,  and  Bandmaster  were 
running  in  the  order  named  as  the  first  of  the  two 
hurdles  was  reached.  The  Baron's  horse  was  tiring 
fast,  and  Milkmaid  had  about  enough  of  it.  Band- 
master traveled  well  but  did  not  gain  much  ground. 

All  three  scrambled  over,  their  style  being  slov- 
enly, quite  different  from  the  early  part  of  the 
race. 

Alan  swayed  in  the  saddle,  then  bent  forward.  It 
seemed  every  minute  as  though  he  must  fall  off.  It 
was  a  terrible  strain  on  him  after  all  he  had  gone 
through. 

Eve  was  trembling  with  the  intensity  of  her  feel- 
ings, expecting  every  moment  to  see  him  collapse 
—  what  mattered  losing  the  race  if  he  escaped  un- 
hurt? 

Backers  of  the  favorite  were  anxious.  They  sym- 
pathized with  Alan,  at  the  same  time  thought  it 
would  have  been  better  had  young  Kerridge  been 
allowed  to  ride. 

As  they  raced  up  to  the  last  hurdle  every  eye  was 
fixed  on  the  horses.  Handy  Man  stumbled  on  to 
his  knees  as  he  landed,  but  Dan  Rowton  cleverly 
kept  his  seat,  made  a  fine  recovery,  set  his  mount 
going  again,  and  was  deservedly  applauded.  Milk- 
maid landed  clumsily,  staggering  along  for  the  win- 
ning post  —  beaten  but  in  front. 

Bandmaster,  with  the  reins  loose  in  Alan's  hands, 


250  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

pricked  up  his  ears  and  took  off  too  soon.  There 
was  a  moment  of  intense  suspense;  then,  as  the  horse 
crashed  into  it,  Alan  seemed  to  be  roused  to  make  a 
supreme  effort.  He  clutched  the  reins,  held  Band- 
master together,  and  stopped  a  bad  fall ;  the  hurdle 
was  knocked  down  but  the  horse  retained  his  feet. 
All  three  were  tired  but  Bandmaster  had  most  go  in 
him  for  a  run  on  the  flat.  By  degrees  he  over- 
hauled Milkmaid,  who  had  fallen  back,  and  passing 
her  went  in  pursuit  of  Handy  Man. 

The  race  became  desperately  exciting.  Alan  ap- 
peared to  have  had  a  relapse  after  his  momentary 
rousing,  and  gave  Bandmaster  no  help.  It  was 
painful  for  Eve  to  watch  him.  As  she  looked  she 
saw  a  red  splash  on  the  khaki  breeches  and  ex- 
claimed : 

"  He's  hurt !  There's  blood  on  him !  "  then  sank 
backward.  The  Baron  steadied  her  in  time.  It 
was  hardly  a  faint ;  she  felt  dizzy,  and  quickly  recov- 
ering thanked  him. 

Bandmaster  ran  his  own  race.  He  seemed  to 
know  what  was  required,  it  was  exciting  to  watch 
him. 

Nearer  and  nearer  he  drew  to  Handy  Man  and 
Rowton  had  to  ride  hard.  The  odds  were  in  favor 
of  the  Baron's  horse  but  Bandmaster,  despite  all 
disadvantages,  stuck  to  his  guns  and  at  last  reached 
his  girth. 


THE  STEEPLECHASE  251 

The  cheering  was  loud,  it  gave  encouragement  to 
Alan,  he  sat  up  in  the  saddle  and  urged  his  mount  to 
make  a  final  effort. 

It  was  just  in  time;  another  moment  and  Handy 
Man,  driven  hard  by  Dan,  would  have  won. 

Bandmaster  drew  level.  The  pair  were  head  and 
head  for  a  couple  of  strides.  The  crowd  watched 
breathlessly,  too  excited  to  cheer  for  the  moment. 

The  winning  post  was  only  a  few  yards  ahead. 
Alan  saw  it  dimly  and  held  on  to  his  work  with  grim 
determination. 

Bandmaster's  head  was  in  front,  then  his  neck,  in 
another  stride  he  was  half  a  length  to  the  good.  As 
he  passed  the  post  in  front  of  Handy  Man  cheering 
broke  out  wildly. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
jane's  disclosures 

IT  was  a  sensational  finish.  As  Alan  rode  in  he 
hardly  knew  where  he  was  or  what  had  hap- 
pened. He  managed  to  get  out  of  the  saddle,  un- 
buckle the  girths  and  carry  it  into  the  weighing  room. 
He  sank  into  the  scale;  when  "all  right"  was  de- 
clared he  staggered  to  his  feet,  outside  they  were 
waiting  for  him. 

The  crowd  stood  back,  making  way  for  Eve 
Berkeley  and  her  friends.  She  went  quickly  to 
Alan,  took  his  arm  firmly,  Duncan  Fraser  the  other 
side  helped  him  to  limp  along.  The  cheering  was 
deafening,  but  Alan  did  not  notice  it.  When  Eve 
spoke  he  made  no  reply. 

It  was  evident  he  was  not  in  a  condition  to  remain 
on  the  course.  Eve  insisted  upon  taking  him  to 
The  Forest  in  her  motor;  she  said  there  would  be 
more  comfort  than  at  Trent  Park  because  he  was 
not  expected  home. 

Alan  was  helped  into  the  motor  in  a  dazed  con- 
dition. Eve  and  Duncan  Fraser  went  with  him. 
She  had  her  arm  in  his,  pressing  it  sympathetically, 

but  he  did  not  seem  to  be  aware  of  it,  or  know 

252 


JANE'S  DISCLOSURES  253 

where  he  was.  Before  they  arrived  at  The  Forest  he 
was  asleep,  they  had  some  difficulty  in  rousing  him. 

In  the  dining-room  he  went  straight  to  the  sofa, 
threw  himself  down  heavily,  and  was  asleep  in  a 
moment. 

"  He's  tired  out,"  said  Eve,  placing  her  hand  on 
his  head.  "  He  will  be  better  for  a  rest.  We  must 
take  care  the  others  do  not  wake  him  when  they 
return." 

They  covered  him  with  rugs.  Duncan  Fraser  re- 
mained in  the  room  while  Eve  went  to  telephone  for 
the  doctor,  who  on  his  arrival  said  sleep  was  the 
best  possible  thing  for  him  and  he  must  on  no  ac- 
count be  disturbed. 

Alan  slept  until  the  next  morning,  Harry  Morby 
remaining  in  the  room  all  night.  When  he  awoke 
he  remained  quite  still  for  some  time,  wondering 
where  he  was  and  what  had  happened.  Had  he 
been  ill?  If  so  how  long?  No  recollection  of  the 
race  came  to  him ;  he  fancied  he  was  at  headquarters, 
but  the  surroundings  were  strange  —  much  more 
luxurious. 

Captain  Morby  was  asleep  in  the  armchair ;  he  had 
been  awake  most  of  the  night.  Alan  saw  him  as 
he  lay  on  the  sofa  and  recognized  him.  What  was 
Harry  Morby  doing  here  ?  He  was  not  on  the  staff. 
Perhaps  he  had  been  promoted.  Gradually  his  fac- 
ulties became  cleared.     The  sleep  had  done  good, 


254  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

his  brain  worked,  the  dull  sensation  vanished.  He 
sat  up.     As  he  did  so,  Harry  Morby  awoke. 

"  Better,  old  chap  ? "  he  asked  with  a  smile. 
Then  he  noticed  Alan  looking  round  and  went  on: 

"Don't  know  where  you  are,  eh?  I'll  enlighten 
you.  You're  at  The  Forest,  the  home  of  that  most 
beautiful  lady,  Evelyn  Berkeley.  You're  a  fortunate 
man  to  have  won  her  sympathy  so  completely.  By 
Jove,  old  man,  you  rode  a  great  race  yesterday! 
But  you  were  clean  done  up  at  the  finish  and  no 
wonder." 

"What  the  deuce  are  you  doing  here?"  asked 
Alan. 

"  I'm  home  for  a  few  days,  made  up  my  mind  to 
see  Bandmaster  win  the  steeplechase." 

"And  did  he?"  asked  Alan. 

"  Did  he !  I  should  rather  think  so.  Don't  you 
remember?"  said  Harry. 

"  I  have  some  recollection  of  a  race.  Did  I  ride 
him?" 

"  Of  course  you  did,  but  it  took  you  all  your  time 
to  stick  on  at  the  finish." 

"  I  remember,"  said  Alan.  "  I  was  pretty  right 
till  I  got  to  the  last  water  jump.  I  don't  recollect 
much  after  that." 

"  No,  I  don't  suppose  you  do.  You  were  cer- 
tainly dazed  when  you  dismounted." 

"And  he  really  won?" 


JANE'S  DISCLOSURES  255 

"  He  did." 

"  Bandmaster  is  a  great  horse,  a  wonderful 
horse,"  said  Alan  enthusiastically.  "  I  didn't  help 
him  a  bit ;  he  won  the  race  on  his  own.  Tell  me  all 
about  it." 

Captain  Morby,  nothing  loath,  gave  a  good  de- 
scription of  the  race.  Alan  listened  attentively,  as 
though  it  were  the  first  he  had  heard  of  it. 

"  It  was  a  race  to  get  there  in  time,"  said  Alan, 
and  described  hurriedly  how  he  came  from  France 
and  motored  to  the  course.  He  stood  up,  looked  at 
himself  in  the  glass,  and  said : 

"  I'm  a  nice  object.  I  want  cleaning  up.  I'm 
smothered  in  dirt  and  dust.     What  time  is  it?  " 

"  Half-past  six." 

"  Then  we'll  scrub  before  they're  up.  How  did 
I  get  here  ?  " 

Harry  told  him  and  added : 

"  Miss  Berkeley  left  me  on  guard  for  the  night. 
I  believe  she  wanted  to  remain  but  thought  it  better 
not." 

"Come  along,"  said  Alan.  "I'm  for  a  tub;  I 
feel  a  heap  better  now,  it's  good  to  be  home  again 
after  all  I've  gone  through." 

"  You'll  have  to  tell  us  about  your  adventures," 
said  Harry. 

"  It's  a  long  story ;  by  Jove,  old  fellow,  I  wonder 
I'm  alive!  "  said  Alan. 


256  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Eve  Berkeley  was  down  in  good  time,  anxious  to 
learn  how  Alan  was.  She  found  the  door  open, 
looked  in,  there  was  nobody  in  the  room.  She  rang 
the  bell. 

"  Have  you  seen  Captain  Chesney  ?  "  she  asked. 

Johnson  smiled. 

"  He's  in  the  bathroom,"  he  said. 

"  You  have  seen  him  ?  " 

"  I  met  him  on  the  stairs." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  '  How  are  you,  Johnson?  I'm  going  down  for 
a  tub.  It  will  take  some  time  to  get  clean,  but  I'll 
try  and  be  down  for  breakfast.     I'm  hungry.'  " 

"That  was  all?" 

"  Yes." 

"Did  he  look  ill?" 

"  No,  a  bit  tired.     He's  a  wonderful  man." 

"  He  is,  Johnson ;  you  are  quite  right,  a  very 
wonderful  man,"  said  Eve  with  a  bright  smile. 

When  Alan  came  down  he  found  her  in  the 
morning-room.     He  held  out  his  arms. 

"  Come  to  me,  Eve,  come !  I  want  you  badly  — 
I  love  you  so.  I  thought  once  I  should  never  see 
you  again  and  it  nearly  killed  me.  I  dreaded  the 
idea  of  never  seeing  you  more  than  the  danger  or 
the  bullets." 

She  came;  he  took  her  to  him  and  kissed  her 
passionately.     Johnson  discreetly  closed  the  door, 


JANE'S  DISCLOSURES  257 

he  was  an  admirable  servant.  They  were  alone  for 
an  hour,  a  blessed  time,  more  united  than  they  had 
been,  their  hearts  beating  in  unison;  they  were 
one. 

Hurriedly  he  gave  her  a  brief  outline  of  his 
adventures.  She  listened  breathlessly.  He  was 
indeed  a  hero,  a  brave  man,  and  he  was  hers ;  her 
happiness  was  almost  too  much,  she  simply  sighed 
and  nestled  to  him.  He  punctuated  his  tale  with 
kisses.     He  ended  by  saying  in  determined  tones : 

"  We  must  be  married  before  I  return.  I  can't 
risk  it  again,  after  all  I  have  gone  through.  I  dare 
not.     You  will  consent,  Eve;  you  will?" 

She  said  yes  and  he  was  soothed  and  satisfied. 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be  as  well  to  tell  them  all  at 
breakfast,"  she  said. 

"All  who?" 

She  laughed  and  gave  him  the  names  of  her 
guests 

"What  an  ordeal!"  he  said.  "Who  will  tell 
them?" 

"  You  must,  Alan,  and  spare  my  blushes." 

Not  much  surprise  was  manifested  when  Alan 
made  the  announcement.  There  was  a  chorus  of 
congratulations ;  everybody  thought  it  an  excellent 
match.     Captain  Morby  said  to  himself: 

"  I  knew  they'd  do  it,  but  they  have  been  a  long 
time  about  it." 


258  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Alan  had  to  relate  his  adventures  in  Brussels 
and  Bruges.  He  thrilled  his  listeners  as  he  de- 
scribed his  hair-breadth  escapes  on  his  return  to 
headquarters. 

He  was  not  due  back  for  a  few  weeks;  during 
that  time  he  and  Eve  were  quietly  married  at  Little 
Trent  Church,  only  a  few  persons  being  present. 
They  went  for  a  brief  honeymoon  to  the  South 
and  on  their  return  to  Trent  Park  met  with  a  great 
reception. 

Mr.  Hallam  arranged  with  Eve  to  remain  at  The 
Forest  until  his  return  to  Australia.  He  seemed  in 
no  hurry  to  leave  England. 

It  was  during  Alan's  stay  at  Trent  Park  that 
Jane  Meason  surprised  her  father  by  returning 
home  alone. 

"  I  have  left  him,"  she  said.  "  He  has  behaved 
shamefully;  he  is  a  spy.  I  have  found  him  out.  I 
will  never  live  with  him  again." 

"  What's  he  done?  "  said  Tom  gloomily. 

"  Many  things.  Abel  Head  was  quite  right :  he 
is  in  the  pay  of  the  Germans ;  I  can  prove  it,"  said 
Jane. 

She  was  reticent  and  Tom  did  not  get  much 
information  from  her.  He  found  out,  however, 
that  Carl  had  threatened  her  if  she  disclosed  any-, 
thing  about  his  work  or  what  he  was  doing. 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  "  asked  Tom. 


JANE'S  DISCLOSURES  259 

"  He  told  me  if  I  got  him  into  trouble  he  would 
do  for  me,"  said  Jane. 

"  We'll  see  about  that,"  answered  Tom  angrily. 
"  Threatened  your  life,  did  he  ?  Well,  he'll  have 
me  to  deal  with  first." 

Jane  did  not  show  any  alarm  at  her  husband's 
threats;  for  one  thing  she  did  not  believe  in  them. 
He  might  risk  coming  to  find  her  at  Little  Trent 
Park,  at  least  she  thought  so. 

Tom  told  Alan  what  his  daughter  said. 

"  I'll  see  her,"  he  said,  "  and  find  out  all  about 
him.  We'll  put  a  spoke  in  his  wheel  before  long; 
if  he's  caught  red-handed  he'll  be  shot  and  she  will 
be  well  rid  of  him." 

"  The  Government  ought  to  reward  her,"  said 
Tom. 

Alan  smiled ;  Tom  was  after  the  money  again. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  she  will  be  recompensed  for 
what  she  has  gone  through,"  he  said. 

Eve  sent  for  Jane  to  come  to  Trent  Park  and  per- 
suaded her  to  tell  Alan  what  she  knew.  This  she 
was  willing  to  do;  Alan  was  different  from  her 
father,  he  was  a  soldier  and  had  a  right  to  know. 

Jane  stated  that  Carl  Meason  had  signaled  to  the 
raiders  from  his  motor  car.  She  had  no  doubt 
about  it;  he  did  so  when  they  left  Margate.  She 
was  sure  of  it  now  although  at  the  time  he  gave  a 
plausible  explanation   as   to   why  he   showed   two 


260  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

such  large  bright  lights.  She  knew  the  Zeppelins 
were  guided  by  the  signals  he  flashed;  when  she 
found  out  she  was  frightened  but  later  on  after  a 
quarrel  she  taxed  him  with  it.  Carl  was  in  a  terri- 
ble rage,  she  thought  he  would  have  struck  her. 
His  threats  daunted  her  for  a  time  and  she  kept 
quiet,  but  when  she  read  about  the  murderous  bombs 
and  destruction  of  innocent  lives  she  determined  to 
disclose  all  she  knew  at  the  proper  time. 

Alan  and  Eve  listened  to  her  story.  They  had 
no  doubt  as  to  its  truth.  Carl  Meason  must  be 
caught.  Had  she  any  idea  where  he  was  ?  She  had 
not  but  expected  he  would  seek  her  out  at  the  cot- 
tage. She  had  left  him  a  note  in  which  she  said  she 
was  going  home  and  would  never  live  with  him 
again.  She  handed  Alan  a  document  she  had  taken 
from  his  case  before  she  left.  It  clearly  implicated 
him ;  there  was  no  doubt  he  had  been  in  the  pay  of 
the  enemy  for  months,  that  he  had  mapped  out  raids 
for  them,  organized  a  system  of  spying  in  England. 

"  This  is  sufficient  to  condemn  him,"  said  Alan. 
"  You  really  think  he  will  dare  to  seek  you  here?  " 

Jane  said  she  felt  sure  of  it. 

"  Then  we'll  watch  for  him.  He  shall  not  es- 
cape," said  Alan,  but  he  was  doubtful  if  Carl  Mea- 
son would  run  his  head  into  a  hornets'  nest. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A    SPLASH    IN    THE    DARK 

CARL  MEASON  was  angry  because  Jane  left 
him,  but  he  did  not  think  she  would  betray 
him.  He  was  well  paid  for  his  villainy:  large  re- 
mittances reached  him  by  a  round-about  route.  He 
was  flush  of  money.  He  was  lost  without  Jane. 
She  appealed  to  him.  He  did  not  love  her  but  he 
wranted  her;  she  was  his  and  he  meant  to  get  her 
back. 

There  would  not  be  much  risk  in  going  to  Trent 
Park,  he  thought.  He  had  warned  her  he  would  be 
dangerous  if  she  gave  him  away,  that  she  would 
come  to  harm ;  she  seemed  frightened  by  his  threats. 
It  was  not  likely  she  would  brave  them. 

He  understood  why  she  left  him,  or  thought  so; 
it  was  because  she  knew  he  undertook  risks  and 
might  suffer  as  his  accomplice  if  they  were  caught. 

"  She'll  have  to  come  away  with  me,"  he  said. 
"  I'll  square  her  father;  it's  only  a  matter  of  cash." 

It  was  some  time  after  she  left  him  he  decided 

to  take  her  away.     He  wrote ;  she  had  not  answered 

his  letters.     He  cursed  her  for  an  obstinate  jade, 

vowing  he  would  pay  her  out. 

261 


262  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

Jane  showed  her  father  his  letters  and  he  duly 
reported  to  Alan,  who  ordered  a  watch  to  be  kept 
round  the  Park  and  near  the  cottage.  Abel  Head, 
Tom  Thrush  and  several  of  the  men  at  Trent  Park 
were  special  constables.  They  thought  it  would  be 
a  feather  in  their  cap  if  they  caught  a  spy. 

Carl  Meason  was  cunning.  He  wished  to  find 
out  how  the  land  lay  before  venturing  there.  He 
sent  one  of  his  confidential  agents  to  make  inquiries. 
He  returned  in  a  couple  of  days,  saying  there  were 
men  about,  watching  the  place,  evidently  on  the 
lookout  for  somebody. 

From  this  Carl  gathered  Jane  had  given  informa- 
tion against  him  and  flew  into  a  terrible  rage. 
Come  of  it  what  might  he  decided  to  punish  her 
even  if  he  ran  risks. 

He  made  elaborate  preparations  for  his  journey, 
hired  a  small  but  powerful  car,  disguised  himself 
thoroughly.  He  was  an  adept  at  making  up.  In 
New  York  he  had  more  than  once  saved  his  life 
owing  to  his  skill.  He  knew  the  country  well.  He 
journeyed  down  in  the  daytime,  passing  through 
Little  Trent  slowly,  saw  Abel  Head  at  the  door  of 
the  Sherwood  Inn,  smiled  as  he  noticed  he  was  un- 
recognized. He  went  at  the  same  pace  along  the 
road  leading  past  the  wall  where  the  door  opened 
near  Tom  Thrush's  cottage. 


A  SPLASH  IN  THE  DARK        263 

Jane  heard  the  motor,  opened  the  door,  and 
looked  out.  So  well  was  he  disguised  that  she 
failed  to  recognize  him  or  the  car. 

Motorists  often  went  through  the  road  in  Trent 
Park  and  no  notice  was  taken  of  Meason  and  his 
car. 

It  so  happened  that  Alan  and  his  wife  were  in 
London  and  as  there  had  been  no  signs  of  Meason 
the  watchers  relaxed  their  vigilance.  Tom  Thrush 
was  of  opinion  Meason  had  cleared  out  because  he 
was  in  danger  of  being  discovered;  and  Abel  Head 
was  of  the  same  mind. 

Jane  felt  safer.  Perhaps  he  divined  she  had 
told  of  his  doings  and  in  consequence  he  thought 
it  safer  to  hide  for  a  time.  She  was,  however, 
careful  not  to  go  far  away  from  home,  nor  did  she 
walk  outside  the  Park.  There  was  no  telling  what 
a  desperate  man  would  do. 

Fortune  favored  Carl  Meason.  The  night  was 
dark,  misty ;  a  dense  white  stream  covered  the  park, 
strangely  thick  and  wetting.  Leaving  his  motor 
under  the  wall  some  distance  from  the  door  where 
it  was  hidden  by  creepers  overhanging,  he  concealed 
himself  in  one  of  the  thick  embrasures  and  watched. 
He  was  well  protected  by  his  motor  coat,  light  but 
warm  and  water-proof. 

He  looked  at  his  wrist  watch.     The  illuminated 


264  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

figures  showed  it  was  eight  o'clock.  He  wondered 
at  the  pitchy  blackness  of  the  night,  unusual  for  the 
time  of  the  year. 

Listening  intently  he  heard  the  door  latch  click ; 
then  it  swung  back  with  a  bang.  It  was  opened 
again  and  Jane  called  out : 

"  Don't  be  late,  Father.  It's  a  bad  night.  I 
don't  care  to  be  left  alone." 

"  I'll  be  back  in  an  hour,  my  lass,  and  bring 
Abel  Head  along  with  me.  He's  plenty  of  time  on 
his  hands  with  these  new  restrictions  in  force."  It 
was  Tom  Thrush's  voice ;  he  was  going  to  the  Sher- 
wood Inn.  What  a  stroke  of  luck !  Such  a  chance 
would  not  occur  again. 

Carl  Meason  chuckled  savagely  as  he  heard  Tom's 
footsteps  die  away  in  the  distance.  Creeping  out 
he  felt  his  way  back  to  the  motor  along  the  wall, 
made  sure  all  was  right;  the  lights  were  low  and 
covered  by  a  dark  protection  which  entirely  oblit- 
erated them.  He  had  taken  every  precaution  and 
knew  the  way  in  the  dark ;  he  had  only  to  keep  to 
the  road  and  get  clear  away  with  Jane.  Nobody 
was  likely  to  be  motoring  on  such  a  night.  He  was 
still  disguised.  He  wondered  if  she  would  recog- 
nize his  voice,  he  could  alter  it  cleverly. 

He  banged  at  the  door  as  though  he  had  stumbled 
against  it  in  the  dark.  Jane  was  nervous,  more  so 
than   she  had   been   since  her  return.     The   noise 


A  SPLASH  IN  THE  DARK        265 

startled  her;  it  could  not  be  her  father  returning, 
still  there  was  a  chance. 

She  listened.  The  knock  came  again,  louder. 
She  opened  the  cottage  door;  the  light  from  the 
lamp  shone  on  the  outer  door  leading  to  the  road. 

"Who's  there?"  she  asked,  bravely,  although 
her  heart  quaked. 

"  I've  lost  my  way.  I  want  to  get  to  Little 
Trent,''  said  Carl,  in-  a  muffled  voice, 

"  Go  straight  on,"  she  said ;  "  it's  not  far." 

"Who  lives  here?" 

"  Thomas  Thrush,  Captain  Chesney's  game- 
keeper." 

"  That's  lucky ;  I  know  him.  May  I  come  in  for 
a  few  minutes?     I'm  tired." 

She  hardly  knew  what  to  say.  If  she  refused  he 
could  force  his  way  in ;  whoever  he  was,  she  thought 
it  better  to  grant  his  request;  it  was  a  bad  night  to 
be  out. 

She  opened  the  door  and  Carl  stepped  through. 
He  walked  into  the  cottage. 

"  Thanks,"  he  said;  "  is  Mr.  Thrush  in?  " 

Jane  hesitated  a  moment ;  then  said : 

"  He's  gone  out;  he  will  not  be  long.  You  know 
my  father?  " 

"  Quite  well." 

Something  in  his  appearance  was  familiar;  she 
looked  at  him  curiously.     His  eyes  fascinated  her; 


266  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

they  were  like  a  snake's,  the  eyes  of  Carl  Meason, 
her  husband,  as  she  remembered  them  to  have 
looked  several  times.  It  suddenly  occurred  to  her 
that  he  might  be  her  husband  disguised;  she  was 
almost  certain  it  was.     What  must  she  do? 

Carl  watched  her.  He  caught  signs  that  she 
recognized  him,  he  had  not  much  time  to  lose,  he 
must  make  good  use  of  it  and  act  at  once. 

"  It's  me,  my  lady;  I  see  you  know  me.  Why  did 
you  run  away  from  me?  "  he  said. 

"  What  have  you  come  here  for  in  this  dis- 
guise? "  she  said. 

"  To  take  you  away.  I  am  running  great  risks, 
but  I  want  you,  Jane,  and  I  think  you're  worth  it. 
You  ought  to  be  flattered.'' 

She  must  parley  with  him  until  her  father  and 
Abel  were  at  hand. 

'  I  shall  not  go  with  you,"  she  said  firmly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will ;  I  think  I  can  persuade  you," 
he  said,  looking  threateningly  at  her.  "  You  have 
given  me  away;  that  was  not  proper  for  a 
wife." 

She  said  nothing.  If  only  she  could  detain 
him. 

"  Come,  hurry  up.  Your  father  will  not  be  back 
yet;  he's  gone  to  Little  Trent,  I  heard  him  say  so," 
he  said. 

"  I  will  not  go,"  said  Jane. 


A  SPLASH  IN  THE  DARK        267 

"  You  will,  and  now.  There's  your  hat  and 
coat.     Put  them  on." 

"No!" 

He  came  toward  her,  looking  terrible  in  his  dis- 
guise. 

"  You  see  this,"  he  said,  taking  a  large  knife 
from  his  pocket,  unsheathing  it.  "If  you  do  not 
come  at  once  I  will  kill  you." 

She  shuddered.  She  knew  he  would  do  it;  this 
was  no  empty  threat.  Mechanically  she  took  her 
hat  and  cloak  and  put  them  on. 

"If  you  cry  out  I  will  use  it,"  he  said,  holding 
up  the  knife.  She  did  not  speak.  He  took  her  by 
the  wrist  and  led  her  out;  she  was  not  so  afraid 
now,  probably  it  was  the  safest  plan  to  go  with  him 
—  she  could  escape  again. 

He  pulled  her  rapidly  along  by  the  wall  until  he 
reached  the  motor. 

"  Get  in,"  he  said,  turning  on  the  small  inside 

lamps. 

Jane  entered ;  she  heard  him  fixing  the  starter ;  he 
got  in  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  car  moved. 

"  It  all  depends  on  yourself  whether  you  come 
out  of  this  alive,"  he  said  savagely. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  she  asked. 

"  Anywhere  on  to  the  main  road ;  you  can  say 
good-bye  to  Trent  Park,  you'll  never  see  it  again," 
he  said. 


268  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

He  intended  to  kill  her  when  it  was  safe;  she 
felt  sure  such  was  his  intention.  Her  faculties  were 
alert.     Was  there  a  way  out? 

Her  heart  gave  a  throb,  her  hopes  rose;  if  she 
could  make  him  steer  a  wrong  course. 

"  You  are  not  making  for  the  main  road,"  she 
said. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am." 

"  You  are  not.  If  you  upset  the  car  you  may 
be  killed  too,"  said  Jane. 

He  hesitated;  she  might  be  right,  there  were  sev- 
eral roads  in  the  Park.  He  wanted  to  get  away  as 
quickly  as  possible.  He  had  no  head  lights ;  it  was 
safer. 

"  Which  way  ought  I  to  go?  "  Tie  asked. 

"  More  to  the  left." 

Jane  knew  the  ground  well;  she  could  find  her 
way  in  the  dark  almost  as  certainly  as  her  father. 
The  car  was  nearing  the  road  leading  past  the  moat 
and  tower;  it  was  not  often  used,  but  he  would  not 
be  aware  of  this  in  the  dark. 

"To  the  left?"  he  said.  "There's  no  road 
there." 

"  Yes;  a  little  farther  on." 

"You  can  see?"  he  said  in  surprise. 

"  I  know  the  park  as  well  in  the  dark  as  in  the 
daytime,"  she  answered. 

He  thought  this  not  improbable;  her  father  had 


A  SPLASH  IN  THE  DARK         269 

taught  her  woodcraft,  the  ways  of  the  forest  and 
the  park. 

"If  you  put  me  wrong  you're  done  for,"  he  said. 
"  You'd  better  not  play  tricks  with  me." 

"  Why  should  I  when  you  threaten  my  life?  "  she 
replied  quietly. 

Her  feelings  were  strung  to  the  highest  pitch ;  she 
was  playing  a  desperate  game.  She  might  lose  her 
life,  it  was  worth  the  risk.  He  intended  to  kill  her 
anyhow  because  she  had  given  him  away. 

He  thought  her  thoroughly  frightened ;  she  would 
hardly  play  him  tricks,  she  dare  not.  He  under- 
estimated her  courage. 

Jane  peered  into  the  blackness;  she  saw  a  faint 
line  ahead  and  knew  it  was  the  water  in  the  moat. 
Her  father  had  taught  her  to  see  water  in  the  dark 
—  it  comes  easy  when  familiar  with  nature.  Every 
sense  was  alert;  if  she  made  a  mistake  he  would  not 
hesitate  to  kill  her,  for  he  would  know  what  she 
had  tried  to  do. 

The  car  jolted.     Carl  said  angrily: 

"We're  off  the  road;  what's  your  game?  Take 
care." 

"  It's  all  right  —  a  short  cut  to  the  main  road. 
That's  where  you  want  to  go?  "  she  said. 

"  The  main  road,  yes." 

"I'll  tell  you  in  a  moment;  turn  sharp  to  the 
right  then,"  said  Jane. 


270  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

The  car  went  on.  Jane's  heart  beat  fast,  her 
pulses  throbbed  painfully.  Would  he  do  it,  would 
he  find  out?     It  was  an  awful  risk  to  run. 

"  Now,"  she  said  as  calmly  and  steadily  as  possi- 
ble, "  to  the  right." 

Carl  turned  the  steering  wheel;  the  car  swerved, 
bumped  on  the  rough  grass;  for  a  moment  he 
seemed  to  lose  control  of  it.  He  heard  Jane  leap 
out;  he  could  not  see  her. 

She  had  played  him  a  trick ;  where  was  he  ?  His 
brain  was  on  fire.  He  acted  like  a  madman,  wild 
with  rage ;  he  tried  to  stop  the  car.  In  his  fumbling 
haste  he  failed. 

There  was  a  plunge,  a  great  splash. 

Jane,  bruised  and  shaken  on  the  ground  where 
she  had  fallen,  listened. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

NEWS    FROM    HOME 

WHEN  Tom  Thrush  returned  home  alone  — 
Abel  declined  to  accompany  him  —  he 
found  the  doors  open,  the  cottage  in  darkness,  the 
lamp  having  been  blown  out,  and  Jane  gone.  He 
called  her,  searched  the  cottage,  took  his  lantern  and 
examined  the  garden.  Somebody,  a  man,  had  been 
there.  He  went  out  on  to  the  road,  traced  footsteps 
along  the  wall  until  he  came  to  where  the  car  had 
stood,  then  he  knew  it  was  Carl  Meason  who  had 
carried  her  off  and  given  them  the  slip. 

Lantern  in  hand  he  followed  the  tracks  easily 
seen  in  the  damp  dust  covering  the  road.  He 
walked  rapidly.  When  he  came  to  the  turning 
leading  to  the  moat  he  stopped  and  wondered  what 
had  taken  him  this  way.  A  feeling  of  horror  swept 
over  him  as  he  thought  Meason  might  have  had  an 
object  in  taking  her  to  the  moat.  This  vanished 
when  he  considered  he  would  not  know  the  way  in 
the  dark,  but  how  to  account  for  the  tire  imprints? 
He  followed  them ;  as  he  neared  the  moat  he  lis- 
tened.    Footsteps  drawing  near,  light  treading;  not 

271 


272  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

a  man,  perhaps  Jane;  if  so,  what  had  become  of 
Meason  ? 

It  was  Jane,  moving  slowly  and  painfully.  He 
held  up  the  light. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  lass  ?  Where  is  he  ?  " 
asked  Tom. 

She  stumbled  upon  him,  knocking  the  lantern 
from  his  hand.  She  had  fainted.  He  laid  her 
gently  down-  and  picked  up  the  light,  holding  it  to 
her  face.  There  was  a  cut  on  her  forehead;  he 
wiped  the  blood  away,  saw  it  was  not  serious.  She 
came  round  quickly.     He  helped  her  to  her  feet. 

"  How  came  you  here?  "  he  asked. 

"  Carl  came  to  the  cottage.  He  forced  me  to  go 
with  him.  He  had  a  car  —  he  meant  to  kill  me  —  it 
was  his  life  or  mine,"  she  said,  shivering. 

"  Where  is  he?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  In  the  moat." 

He  was  bewildered,  did  not  understand.  Jane 
could  not  have  pushed  him  into  the  water. 

She  explained  hurriedly;  he  listened  wonderingly. 
She  was  plucky,  had  run  a  great  risk.  He  gave  no 
thought  to  the  man. 

"  I  jumped  out  and  fell  on  the  grass.  He  seemed 
to  lose  his  head ;  the  car  rushed  on  —  I  heard  noth- 
ing more,"  she  said. 

"  Then  he's  in  the  water  and  the  car  too?  " 

"  Must  be." 


NEWS  FROM  HOME  273 

"  Come  home.  I'll  have  a  look  round  in  the 
morning.  If  he's  drowned  it's  too  good  for  him; 
hie  ought  to  have  been  hanged.  Drowning  they  say 
is  an  easy  death." 

Jane  went  to  bed  and  slept  the  sleep  of  exhaus- 
tion and  excitement.  She  was  only  a  girl  and  had 
already  gone  through  startling  experiences.  Tom, 
leaving  her,  went  to  the  moat  early.  He  saw  where 
the  car  had  fallen  in ;  it  must  have  turned  upside 
down  and  probably  Carl  was  pinned  underneath. 
He  felt  no  compunction;  he  thought  Jane  acted 
rightly.  The  man  was  a  spy  and  a  villain ;  she  and 
the  country  were  well  rid  of  him. 

When  Alan  returned  he  told  him  what  had  hap- 
pened. The  matter  was  reported  to  the  police  and 
to  the  proper  authorities.  The  moat  was  searched ; 
it  was  difficult  to  drag  the  car  out  but  it  was  soon 
done.  Carl  Meason's  body  was  found  pinned  be- 
neath, as  Tom  anticipated. 

The  usual  inquest  was  held  and  strange  facts 
were  brought  to  light.  On  Meason's  body  were 
documents  proving  he  was  in  the  pay  of  the  Ger- 
mans, and  had  given  much  valuable  information 
which  was  used  for  raiding  purposes. 

Jane's  conduct  was  extolled.  She  would  un- 
doubtedly have  paid  the  penalty  of  betraying  his 
secrets  with  her  life;  there  was  no  pity  for  Carl 
Meason.     He  met  his  death  as  a  traitor;  had  he 


274  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

been  caught  he  would  have  undoubtedly  been  shot. 

Jane  was  searched  out  and  interviewed;  Tom 
made  a  handsome  bargain  with  the  representatives 
of  a  Sunday  weekly;  when  she  read  the  account  of 
her  life  with  Carl  Meason  she  was  amazed.  Had 
all  these  things  really  happened?  Was  it  possible? 
She  pointed  out  certain  extraordinary  statements  to 
Tom,  saying  she  did  not  recollect  such  things  and 
was  quite  sure  she  had  told  the  newspaper  man 
nothing  of  the  sort  because  they  had  never  hap- 
pened. 

Tom  smiled. 

"  He  said  he'd  write  it  up,  and  he  has.  He's 
made  a  good  job  of  it  and  we've  been  well  paid 
for  it.  I  think  he  was  entitled  to  lay  it  on  thick, 
considering  the  price  paid,"  he  said. 

"  Did  this  all  really  happen  to  you,  Jane?  "  asked 
Eve. 

"  Some  of  it,"  replied  Jane,  smiling. 

"And  the  rest?" 

"  It  is  a  bit  far-fetched ;  he  must  have  a  vivid 
imagination,"  said  Jane. 

Eve  laughed. 

"  You  have  caused  quite  a  sensation,"  she  said. 

Alan  went  back  to  general  headquarters  in  France. 
Eve  was  as  happy  as  she  knew  how  to  be  without 
him,  but  there  was  the  constant  anxiety  of  what 
might  happen  to  him. 


NEWS  FROM  HOME  275 

Alan  was  not  a  good  correspondent,  and  he  had 
not  much  time  for  writing.  Eve  knew  this  and  was 
always  glad  of  a  few  lines.  He  came  home  at  inter- 
vals for  a  few  days  at  a  time. 

Eve  loved  him  and  he  adored  her.  Since  their 
marriage  he  discovered  new  and  surprising  traits 
in  her  and  wondered  how  he  had  been  so  blind  as  to 
risk  losing  her  by  his  delay  in  asking  her  to  be  his 
wife. 

Bernard  Hallam  and  Ella  were  still  at  The  Forest. 

"  When  am  I  going  back  to  Australia?  "  said  Mr. 
Hallam  in  answer  to  Alan's  question.  "  I  cannot 
tell  you,  for  I  don't  know.  It's  not  safe.  I  have 
no  desire  to  see  how  a  torpedo  works  at  near  quar- 
ters. I  am  much  safer  here,  and  The  Forest  is  a 
delightful  place.  There's  another  thing,  I  want  my 
revenge." 

Alan  laughed  as  he  said : 

"  Another  couple  of  races  with  Rainstorm  and 
Southerly  Buster?" 

"  That's  it.  They  were  on  a  level  last  time ;  you 
only  just  got  home  with  your  pair." 

"  Bandmaster  has  probably  lost  some  of  his 
paces,"  said  Alan. 

'  Didn't  look  like  it  when  you  won  the  Steeple- 
chase on  him,"  answered  Mr.  Hallam. 

'  By  Jove,  that  must  have  been  a  race ! "  ex- 
claimed Alan. 


276  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  It  was.     Don't  you  recollect  much  about  it?  " 

"  Can't  say  I  do,"  replied  Alan,  with  a  puzzled 
expression. 

"  It's  funny;  you  must  have  been  in  a  queer 
state." 

"  I  was.  I  say,  Hallam,  I  believe  I  went  off  my 
head  for  a  bit,"  said  Alan. 

'  I  won't  contradict  you,  but  the  head's  all  right 
now,"  said  Mr.  Hallam. 

Fred  Skane  was  consulted.  He  thought  Band- 
master quite  equal  to  tackling  Rainstorm  again,  and 
The  Duke  doing  the  same  by  Southerly  Buster. 
Both  would  be  ready  for  the  next  Newmarket  meet- 
ing if  the  matches  could  be  included  in  the  program. 

Alan  communicated  with  the  Jockey  Club  officials 
and  there  was  no  difficulty  about  it;  the  former 
matches  proved  such  an  attraction  they  were  sure 
to  be  an  addition  to  the  card. 

In  due  course  the  matches  came  off  and  on  this 
occasion  honors  were  divided,  for  Bandmaster  beat 
Rainstorm,  and  Southerly  Buster  beat  The  Duke. 
Mr.  Hallam  would  have  been  more  pleased  had 
Rainstorm  won,  for  he  was  his  favorite,  but  Alan 
was  delighted  at  Bandmaster's  success. 

Duncan  Fraser  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Trent 
Park  and  always  went  across  to  The  Forest  during 
his  stay. 

Eve  said  she  was  "  watching  developments,"  but 


NEWS  FROxM  HOME  277 

Alan  laughingly  answered  that,  "  Fraser  is  not  a 
marrying  man ;  he's  in  love  with  the  brewery,  which 
is  much  more  prosaic." 

"  We  shall  see,"  said  Eve ;  "  I'm  open  to  support 
Ella  against  business." 

Captain  Newport,  invalided  home  an  exchanged 
prisoner,  came  to  Trent  Park  for  rest  and  change. 
He  sorely  needed  it  and  Eve  looked  after  him  well, 
also  Captain  Morby,  severely  wounded,  and  several 
more  officers.  In  fact,  Trent  Park  was  turned  into 
a  convalescent  home,  with  Eve  in  command.  Ella 
and  some  friends  were  willing  helpers,  and  Jane 
came  every  day  to  do  what  she  could  for  Mrs. 
Chesney,  to  whom  she  was  much  attached. 

Captain  Morby  said  the  man  who  could  not  make 
a  recovery  at  Trent  Park  was  very  far  gone  indeed. 

"  I  say,  Newport,  I  owe  you  a  uniform,"  said 
Alan,  laughing,  and  told  him  how  he  took  his  in  the 
house  of  Jean  Baptistine. 

"  A  fine  old  chap,"  said  Vincent.  "  He  did  what 
he  could  for  me;  had  I  been  fit  he'd  have  got  me 
away  safely." 

"  I  hear  the  old  fellow's  had  his  place  blown 
about  his  ears  but  he's  still  there.  I  am  trying  to 
smuggle  him  over  here.  I'll  fix  up  a  small  farm  for 
him  where  he  can  settle  down  and  try  and  be  con- 
tented ;  I  think  I  can  manage  it." 

"  That's  good  of  you,"  said  Vincent. 


278  THE  RIDER  IN  KHAKI 

"  Not  at  all ;  he  deserves  it,  he  risked  much  to  try 
and  save  me,  he  did  his  best,"  said  Alan. 

During  Alan's  absence  in  France,  Eve  had  plenty 
to  do  at  home.  The  wounded  officers  took  up  much 
of  her  time.  When  not  attending  to  them,  or  dele- 
gating the  duty  to  others,  she  went  about  the  home 
farm,  the  stables  and  the  gardens,  often  visiting  Sam 
Kerridge  at  the  Stud,  where  Alfonso  was  doing  well 
and  most  of  the  mares  were  still  in  possession. 
Alan's  racing  establishment  had  been  cut  down,  but 
this  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  and  Fred  Skane  had 
an  easier  time  than  usual.  Many  of  the  lads  had 
joined  up,  and  more  were  waiting  for  the  call. 
Alan  generously  granted  them  a  portion  of  their 
salaries  during  the  time  they  served. 

Eve  looked  longingly  forward  to  the  time  when 
Alan  would  be  free  again  and  live  always  at  Trent 
Park  and  where  children  to  be  born  would  increase 
their  happiness  tenfold.  She  wrote  him  long  let- 
ters, giving  all  the  news  and  local  gossip,  also  every- 
thing concerning  their  home.  Her  latest  letter 
roused  Alan's  interest  more  than  usual. 

"You  see,  I  was  right,"  she  wrote;  "Duncan 
Fraser  asked  Ella  Hallam  to  be  his  wife  and  she 
consented.  I  am  sure  it  is  a  good  match,  so  is  Mr. 
Hallam,  and  Ella  will  be  happy.  Once  upon  a  time 
I  fancied  you  admired  her,  I  mean  were  half  in 
love  with  her,  and  I  am  not  quite  certain  yet  that  she 


NEWS  FROM  HOME  279 

has  forgiven  me  for  snatching  you  away.  We  were 
always  meant  for  each  other,  Alan;  it  was  our  des- 
tiny, and  in  this  case  it  has  proved  very  kind. 

"And  what  do  you  think?  Mr.  Hallam  wants 
me  to  sell  The  Forest  to  him  in  order  to  give  it  to 
Ella  as  a  wedding  present.  Shall  I?  Tell  me. 
There  are  many  pleasant  associations  connected  with 
it  —  the  best,  that  you  asked  me  to  be  your  wife 
there." 

Then  followed  news  which  caused  Alan  to  ex- 
claim : 

"  By  Jove,  I  am  glad!     I  hope  it's  a  boy." 

Eve  continued: 

"  And  there's  something  else,  another  match. 
Will  Kerridge  has  asked  Jane  to  be  his  wife ;  her 
second  matrimonial  venture  will  not  be  as  stormy 
as  her  first. 

"  We  are  all  well  here,  and  my  wounded  soldiers 
simply  love  the  place"  ("and  their  nurses,"  com- 
mented Alan,  "lucky  beggars!"). 

"  I  never  pass  the  steeplechase  course  but  it  re- 
calls vividly  to  mind  that  never-to-be-forgotten  day 
when  you  won  on  Bandmaster  —  the  Rider  in 
Khaki." 

THE    END 


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